If you live in Canada, then you're aware of just how cold it gets in this country. As a matter of fact, here in Ontario, there is supposed to be a huge storm settling in right before the Holidays! This can severely impact peoples plans, as well as peoples safety. Our car dealership in Toronto believes that this calls for reviewing some of the major steps to follow if you find yourself in snowy or icy conditions while driving on the road. If you are a new driver or simply need a refresher on how to safely navigate treacherous roads like these, our team at Nexcar Auto Sales & Leasing has all the tips for you to follow outlined here.
SLOW DOWN!
The first and probably the most important step is to remain at a slower driving speed within these wintery conditions. When you are operating a vehicle at a slower speed, you generally have a much better handle on the chance you veer off the road. You should also try to avoid suddenly accelerating or braking to avoid a skid. Slowing down while driving will help to increase your reaction time and help to keep you and your family safe from an accident. You should also allow yourself more drive time when driving in winter conditions.
Increase Following Distance
A general rule of thumb is typically to follow the 3-4 second rule. This means increasing your following distance by 3-4 seconds to allow yourself to have more reaction time when driving in bad weather conditions. If you find yourself in extreme weather conditions, you can increase your distance to about 6-8 seconds. If you don't follow these rules, you will be following too closely and could find yourself in an accident that would have been avoided.
Always Look at Your Tires Pressure
To avoid getting stranded with a flat tire in the winter, it's important to check that your tires are properly inflated. Our team at Nexcar would recommend that you check your tires every two weeks just to make sure they are maintaining proper pressure. A fun fact to know about tire pressure is that your tire will lose 1psi of pressure for every 10 degrees that the temperature drops. If you get stranded from a flat tire, it's best to be prepared, which leads us to our next point.
Be Prepared
When you are making long drives in the winter, it's important to ensure that you have all the necessities in your car in case you get stranded. For example, when the winter season comes around, you should consider carrying around flashlights, blankets, booster cables, water, an ice scraper, and in some cases a snow shovel. Having these items as an "emergency kit" is a great way to be prepared for anything to happen.
How We Can Help
We hope that this advice helps you this winter season when it comes to navigating inclement weather. Here at Nexcar, we care about our clients safety as well as their satisfaction. Because of this, we offer only the most safe, reliable used cars in the Greater Toronto Area! To find out more about our used car dealership in Toronto, be sure to visit our website linked to this post and contact our team of auto experts today.
