10 Tips For Winter Driving In Durham Region

It is that time of year again where winter driving in Durham Region can be treacherous at times. All of us who drive need to be prepared to do everything possible to drive safe and prevent an accident from happening. Here are 10 tips for winter driving in Durham Region or any region for that matter where we will encounter snow covered, slushy or icy road conditions.

10 Tips For Winter Driving

• Winter tires / Snow tires should be installed on your vehicle during the winter months. It is not law yet in Ontario, but in Quebec it is. They are required to have snow tires installed on their vehicle from December 15 to March 15. You can use those dates as a guide or how about December 1 to the end of March just to be on the safe side.
• Always use two hands when driving, this should be done all the time not just in the winter season. This is a good habit to get into if you currently don’t drive with two hands.
• Do not use cruise control when the roads are snow covered, slushy or icy.
• You need to have complete control of your brake and gas pedals.
• Increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. It takes longer to slow down or stop in winter conditions. This tip can save you from being in an accident if the vehicle in front of you has to stop quickly.
• Do not brake during a turn. If you are going to make a turn, you should slow down while you are still driving in a straight line. This decreases your chances of sliding out of control.
• Remove all the loose snow and ice from your vehicle. You don’t want to have snow or ice falling off your vehicle where if could cause other vehicles to have an accident.
• When you are in a turn, you don’t want to make any sudden steering wheel movements.
• Turn your lights on. You can increase your visibility during the winter months just by turning your lights on. Plus the other drivers will be able to see you better, especially when it is snowing or visibility is poor.
• Put together a winter emergency car kit.
• Stay alert, be aware of the road conditions while driving. Most of time using your common sense will go a long way when the roads are snow covered, slushy or icy. Slow Down.

Want more information? Check out the pdf by Ministry of Transport – Winter Driving – Be Prepared, Be safe! If you need winter tires for your vehicle, drop into Gator Custom Auto & Performance in Ajax. We can help you choose the right snow tires and have them installed for you. Also you don’t have to worry about not having room to store your summer tires at home. We can store them for you at a reasonable cost and in the spring we can swap them and store your winter tires til next year. Do you have a driving tip that you feel would be useful in the winter months? Let us know your tip and we will add your tip with your name to our list of 10 Tips For Winter Driving In Durham Region. Remember to Drive Safe.