Canadian winters can get pretty out of hand and very cold, so it’s essential to prepare ahead! Below you’ll find some very useful and easy tips on how to prepare ahead and driving tips for the winter months.
Get your car ready
Before leaving the house, make sure you clean the snow off your vehicle for better visibility and make sure you have enough wiper fluids! Also have your cell phone fully charged, just in case you need to make a call. And finally, ensure your vehicle has a full gas tank!
Best APPS to have on your phone
It’s ideal to check for weather and road conditions before heading out. Especially if it’s snowy and icy. Here are 3 three of the apps we recommend.
Waze: This is the app for checking out traffic ahead and for easy navigation based on real-time. Due to other waze users, you can see real-time information such as accident reports, road hazards and more.
Gas buddy: Running out of gas happens, gas buddy is an app that helps users find the cheapest gas around them. It comes in super handy, especially on those cold winter drives.
Plugshare: We didn’t forget about electric car drivers, plugshare provides a map of the closest stations to charge your electric vehicle. The app also provides reviews about the stations and ratings. Again, very handy during winter months.
Prepare a winter kit
This winter kit includes gloves, shovel, booster cables and windshield wiper fluid. All these items can easily help you out of a pickle!
Drive Smart!
Icy roads, snow everywhere and big snow plows are a regular sight when driving in Canada. Smart driving is a must to keep you safe on the road, as well as others. If we could give one tip and one tip only, is to keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead. A safe distance means time to react without causing harm on the road but rather to safely stop if traffic comes to a complete stop. Keeping a safe distance also allows you to have better visibility on the road, especially if a snow plow or big trucks are ahead of you. Visibility is key for reaction time!
Plan ahead
Give yourself extra time to get to your destination and don’t be in a rush. A lot of accidents happen when driving in a rush. Emotions runs high and drivers tend to get more upset, driving reactions can be affected by those moods and create a bad scenario. It’s essential to give yourself more time and to slow down.
No more cruise control
Cruise control during winter months can get very dangerous! Many drivers lost control very easily due to the slippery roads.
Urgent drive or not?
If there’s a really bad snow storm, we suggest to avoid driving altogether if it’s not urgent. Why put yourself at risk.We hope these simple tips help to plan ahead! Let us know what tips and tricks you have for the winter months!
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