Driving During Wintertime: Essential Tips

The holiday season is in full swing, which means a lot of plans and events will be taking place. Coinciding with these is the commute. And because the holidays happen to occur during the winter months, this means that there’s a good chance that you’ll be doing a fair amount of driving during this time of year. Driving during the winter time requires some specific skills, some of which we’ll be discussing today.

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean the roads are hazardous. However, before embarking on any journey, you should do a thorough check of what weather conditions are like. Preparation is key, and if your journey is one of a considerable length, you’ll want to make sure your tires are in good shape, and your brakes are functioning properly.

There’s a reason we mentioned brakes and tires in the previous paragraph. Winter roads tend to be slippery, and maintaining control and traction of your vehicle is sometimes difficult. In order to ensure safety, it’s recommended that you travel at exactly the speed limit and give yourself a considerable amount of distance between your vehicle and the other drivers on the road. Your brakes might not catch as quickly as they normally do, and ensuring you have plenty of reaction time is of the utmost importance.

Even during the lightest snowfall, maintaining visibility is crucial for safe travel. Keeping your headlights on not only ensures that you retain visibility in front of you, but that other vehicles can see you approaching. If you have to utilize your high beams, do so at your own discretion. Having them on can hinder the visibility of oncoming traffic, so be sure to disengage them when you notice another vehicle approaching.

Depending upon the geographic location that you live in, snow tires are a great way to combat the weather. Snow tires have treads that are specifically formulated to disperse snow and keep it from accumulating. If you decide to purchase a set for the winter months, it’s best to have them put on when the temperature begins to drop below freezing.

From all of us here at Route 1 CDJR, we want to wish you a happy and safe holiday season. If you’re interested in a new vehicle or simply need routine service, visit our dealership today at 2700 Brunswick Pike in Lawrenceville or give us a call at (609) 403-3612.