Winter Safety Tips

Winter Safety Tips

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Riverview Ford is the preferred Ford dealership in Fredericton, New Brunswick. We also serve the surrounding areas of Oromocto, Hampton, Saint John, Woodstock, and Sussex. When you're looking for ways to stay safe during the winter, we're here for you with plenty of winter season safety tips.

Clear the Car of Snow as Winter Car Maintenance

One of the most critical steps you need to take whenever you leave your car outside for an extended period is to clear it of any snow and ice before driving away. Patches of snow or ice on the windshield, windows, and back windshield obstruct your vision. The easiest way to make sure that you have clear windows and windshields is to clear away all snow and scrape off most ice after turning on the defroster functions on your car. You might have to wait another couple of minutes to let the rest of the snow and ice melt, but that's a good tip for the winter because it warms up your engine, too.

Have Effective Tires

For adequate tires, make sure they are for the correct season. If diving in winter conditions, tires should have a fair amount of tread and be inflated to the right air pressure level. Different tires have different tread patterns to best deal with the precipitation and weather of that season. If the tire tread becomes worn down, you won't get the traction you may need, which can be dangerous. Remember to maintain the correct air pressure all year to get maximum traction.

Keep Your Distance

Even if you carefully maintain your vehicle and take reasonable precautions when driving in poor winter weather, you don't always control what other drivers do. One of the easiest ways to minimize risks from other drivers is to keep the distance of several car lengths. Distancing yourself will give you plenty of room to slow down if another driver suddenly puts on their brakes.

Pump Your Brakes

If you have an ABS system on your car, it will pump the brakes when it detects that the vehicle is sliding. But if you don't have ABS brakes, then you should manually pump the brakes whenever you're driving on slippery roads and want to slow down. You also should give yourself extra room by starting the braking process about one-and-a-half to two times sooner than when you would typically start.

If you need more winter safety tips or need maintenance on your car for the winter, such as new wiper blades or tires, contact us. We're more than happy to help you get your vehicle ready for winter driving conditions.

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