Preparing for Winter Driving, what Should I Keep in my Emergency Kit?
Preparing For Winter Driving in Fort Wayne
Driving in the winter is distinctly, and often unpleasantly, different from driving in the warm spring and summer months. You’re going to face a host of enemies that just aren’t there in the summer: Ice on the roads, frosty windows, and harshly falling snow to block your view of the roadway. Even on days when snow isn’t an issue, you are looking at often muddy and slushy conditions on roads that aren’t there in the summertime. To prepare you for the reality of winter driving, sometimes it’s good to keep a checklist of items you’ll need for safe winter driving.
Since roads are often freezing or at least rainy in the wintertime, it’s good to remember basic safety rules for driving in these conditions. Reviewing a manual about driving on ice or rain will help to prepare you for winter driving. More than anything, though, you’re going to need winter’s tools of the trade in your vehicle. If it’s winter, there are just certain things that should always be in your vehicle. We’re here to review these helpful items for you and make sure that they’re packed in your car for your first hard winter’s drive. Kruse Automotive is staffed with caring, knowledgeable auto repair mechanic professionals who want you to have the safest drive possible this winter. Let us help you get ready.
Winter Car Emergency Kit Checklist
Before winter hits in Fort Wayne , it’s wise to do a few things: Have your tires checked, have a winter-vehicle inspection, and of course, fix anything on your vehicle that might make it break down during 0 degree temperatures. Remember that hypothermia isn’t something that happens just in the movies. There are vehicle breakdowns in winter every year that result in injury or even death because people couldn’t get help in time. It’s a very real safety issue that could affect you. If your vehicle does break down, make sure to have an emergency winter kit in your vehicle!
Emergency kit
– Flashlight and extra Flashlight Batteries(this is vital because sometimes you’ll break down in the middle of night)
– Jumper cables (for battery issues)
– First-aid kit (easily obtainable at a pharmacy or department store, in case there are any injuries during the vehicle break down)
– Water (keeping hydrated is going to be vital, even in a winter wait)
– Road flares (for people particularly serious about never getting stranded in winter, this can be invaluable)
– A fully charged cellphone (this one can’t be stressed enough, but don’t always count on a cellphone getting a signal depending on where you’re driving)
– Money (for any gas emergencies)
– Extra gas (in case you can’t get to a gas station and break down)
– Paper maps (just in case you’re not able to access a GPS device)
-Snow Shovel ( in case you need to dig yourself out from a snow drift)
-Blanket ( if you are stuck for an extended period of time)
-A Bag of sand to help with getting your vehicle unstuck
-Snacks in case you are stuck for an extended period of time.
And this is just the beginning of your kit. You can always add more items to this list. A break down in the middle of winter is a serious issue, both to your well-being and that of your family. If you have travelers who are especially old or young, it can become even more serious as a health concern. Extreme temperatures affect infants and the elderly more than others, so if you’re traveling with passengers like this, make sure that you have everything they need, including important medicines. And last but not least, travel with adequate blankets! Even a few minutes in extremely cold temperatures can cause conditions ranging from frostbite to hypothermia, so make sure that every passenger in your vehicle and you also have adequate ways to warm up while you wait for help to arrive.
Preparing Your Car And More
Preparing for winter driving is going to include a lot of planning. Have a well-planned out route to get from point A to point B! Don’t just leave it to your GPS to get you there. Sometimes a GPS can malfunction, cellphones can run out of charge, and you can also experience app crashes, so don’t leave it to technology to get you safely to your destination. Make sure that you have plenty of maps and a well-planned route to your destination, always, especially in winter time when a single diversion could lead you to an extremely dangerous situation.
Your vehicle should be thoroughly inspected before winter by a professional auto repair specialist in Fort Wayne, or during it if you’ve already put off the inspection, and the sooner the better. Batteries can be especially vulnerable to cold weather and so if your battery needs replaced, make sure you do it before something happens out there on the road. All-weather tires are important for winter traveling as well. You need tires that are going to grip the road in adverse weather conditions in a way that “regular” tires just don’t. If you feel like your tires aren’t up to par, a certified mechanic can inspect your current tires and then recommend tires that will be more suitable during winter. Whenever budget permits, make sure to buy four tires at a time so that they all fit and react the same way.
Learn More About Emergency Winter Kits
If you want to learn more about cold weather vehicle kits, then it’s time to give us a call! Kruse Automotive is staffed with professionals who love to help customers get their vehicles ready for the winter time in Fort Wayne. Any good auto repair mechanic is very knowledgeable about winter weather driving in Fort Wayne and will be more than happy to sit down with you and help you come up with more items that might help you drive safer in the winter time. If you have further questions about winter driving, all-weather tires, battery checks, or anything else, just give us a call today to learn more about this important issue. With the coldest months ahead of us in Fort Wayne, it’s time to get everyone ready for the coldest driving conditions of the year. Call us today or simply stop by to talk to us about winterproofing your vehicle!
