Are YOU Prepared to Drive This Winter?
(ModernSurvival.org) – When the world outside begins to look like Narnia or the North Pole, one may want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate to enjoy the view. Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option. Real life forces many to brave the weather — and the adverse road conditions that come with it.
The roadways themselves aren’t the only issue brought about by cold temperatures and icy conditions. In fact, sometimes these issues can prevent a person from even making it out onto the road.
Trouble Starting the Car
Trying to head to work only to find the car unwilling to start is incredibly frustrating. While it’s common knowledge that the cold can drain a car’s battery, it isn’t the only issue that low temperatures cause. If the starter is trying to turn over and the battery is working, the culprit may lie in a frozen gas line. When a vehicle is low on fuel, condensation on the gas line will freeze and prevent the fluid from flowing properly.
The solution here is pretty simple: add some fuel-line antifreeze to the gas tank before the temps even drop. Also, keep an extra bottle around for mornings such as these. Another tip is to be sure to keep your gas tank on the full side of half in the colder months.
Clearing the Ice
Once the car is running, it’s time to clear the snow and ice off. Scraping snow from the windshield, windows, roof, and trunk of the car is a good starting point. However, if the windshield has a layer of ice, things get a bit more complicated. While some may consider pouring hot water on the frozen glass to quickly melt it, this is a horrible idea. Glass does not respond well to fast temperature changes, and will likely crack in this instance.
Instead, turn on the defroster and use the windshield washer fluid from the car itself to help break up the ice. The defroster will keep the fluid from freezing and help it melt away the frozen layer. Granted, it may still require some scraping, but at least this way there is a head start on clearing the windshield.
Keep Some Kitty Litter
Most people know that some well-placed kitty litter can help car tires get traction on ice. What many don’t know, however, is that keeping a few big bags of the stuff in the trunk is also useful in the winter. These will add some much-needed weight over the tires, which in turn will help with traction. As an added bonus, if the tires begin to spin, there is litter on hand to spread around to help out.
Winter brings with it a bevy of potentially dangerous issues on the road. To see more about how to handle these problems, take a look at our important tips for winter driving.
~Here’s to Your Survival!
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