by: Elizabeth Sedway, TahoeKidsGuide.com
As the opening of the 2009/10 ski and snowboard season approaches, you and your family might be thinking of a trip to Lake Tahoe. Here are some suggestions for winterizing your car:
- Perform routine servicing on your car before your trip.
- Flush the cooling system and replace the coolant.
- Replace the windshield wiper blades (wipers that work well are more important, in the snow, than some realize.)
- Put windshield washer fluid, not water, in the windshield washer reservoir (plain water will freeze, so don't use that).
- Have the battery serviced (clean the battery terminal ends and add water) and load-tested to check its ability to hold a charge. If the battery is old, replace it.
- Use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure. Air contracts in cold weather; your tires will loose pressure in freezing temperatures.
- Make sure there is air in the spare tire and that all the proper tire-changing equipment is in the trunk.
- Make sure the tires are in good condition.
- You are likely to need snow tires, together with all wheel drive (or snow chains). If you'll be using chains, it's a good idea to buy them before you leave home. They're likely to cost less than what you would buy on the road, and you'll have a chance to familiarize yourself with how to put them on. You might want to practice putting them on at home, where it's probably warmer, too.
- Check the lights, heater and defroster. Each are vital to safe driving in the snow.
- Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines. In addition, there's really nothing more frustrating than looking for a gas station in a snow storm, with a low tank of gas.
- Get your brakes checked.
- Put together an emergency winter kit for the trunk of your car: flares, blanket, extra boots, energy bars, waterproof gloves, water-proof pants, ice scraper, small snow shovel, flashlight and kitty litter (for traction when stuck in the snow).
- Keep your cell phone charged.
- Make sure your AAA card is in your wallet.
- Check road conditions.
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TahoeTravel101: How to winterize your car for driving in the snow
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Comments
good research job! hope all is well with you & yours.love
Thanks Dad! See I was listening all those years. :)
Preparing your car is a good step to get ready for dangerous road conditions during the winter – you also need to prepare your mind. The brain is critical because it is in charge of recognizing what you see and making decisions quickly. As we age brain performance slows so staying sharp is important in normal situations and even more important as difficult conditions increase the risk.
I am the CEO of Posit Science and we created DriveSharp, a brain fitness software program recommended by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. It contains two games with proven technology to help people be safer behind the wheel by training the brain to think quicker and react faster, reducing accident risk. Customers say it makes them feel more confident driving day-to-day, at night and in stressful conditions. For more information and a free online demo please go to www.drivesharp.com
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