Living here in a PA, we get to experience noticeable season changes. I’ve experienced weather her from -5 with a windchill factor 15 below to 100 degrees on occasion in the summer. I’m always trying to prepare my care for each season. I probably do the most prep for the winter since our winter’s a normally cold but otherwise unpredictable.
This year has been pretty mild so far (knock on wood) but here’s is a pic in front of my house two years ago.
That was my car and I had just dug it our of the snow. I’ve since uprgraded to an all wheel drive SUV.
One of my biggest fears is that something is going to happen that my car won’t start or my cars breaks down in weather like this and I’ll have all 3 of my boys with me. While you can’t predict everything, here are some tips to try to help prevent weather related problems.
–If you have a cell phone with you, make sure it’s charged and ready to go. Getting into a fender bender or having your car not start is stressful enough but if you can’t call someone to give you a jump start or call the police, or a tow truck it could be down right dangerous with dropping temperatures
–If you don’t have a cell phone, make sure a friend or family member knows where you’re going and about what time you expect to be back. If a bad weather related incident occurs at least that person would realize you should have been home and may be able to go looking for you or have someone else.
–Make sure you have the appropriate tires for the season. Keep the air at the proper pressure and be sure to check your tread
–Keep the fluids filled in your car including things like anti-freeze, windshield washer fluid, oil, and gas of course. Driving down the road with a truck splashing dirty, salty, ashy water on your windshield is not the time to realize you’re out of windshield washer fluid.
–Make sure you have proper tools in your car like a working flashlight, jumper cables, small pourable bottle of some type of ice melt or salt in case you get stuck on an icy spot, and a tire iron or lug nut wrench.
–When the temperatures really drop it’s a good idea to make sure your gas in your vehicle doesn’t go below a quarter of a tank. When temps dip into 15, 10, and so on, if you don’t have much gas in your car it can cause the gas to freeze in the lines. Then your car won’t start.
–Allow yourself extra time to get from point A to point B. Whether it be going to work, taking the kids to school, or grocery shopping you want to make sure you don’t have to rush and have time to concentrate on the road and other drivers. Also accidents happen in bad whether. No one will get there any sooner if this happens.
These are just a few of the tips I’ve learned along the way and use myself. I’m sure if I sat he for a while I could think of a few more. Please be safe, be courteous, be prepared, and take your time.
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Great tips. My boyfriend always changes the fluids in my car. I always try to keep my cell phone charged. Also this year I put a bag in my car with some extra hats, scarves, and gloves just in case we would ever need them. Although we’ve had a pretty mild winter so far too, it’s really unpredictable in Ohio too. : )