• Get a car checkup, which should include the ignition system, exhaust, wipers, heater and defroster, radiator, battery, belts, hoses, brakes and lights.
Install winter tires; look for ones marked with a pictograph of a snowflake inside a mountain peak. They're made with special rubber compounds and treads, and provide considerably better traction, braking and handling than all-season tires when the temperature falls below –8 C, even when roads are clear of snow. Winter tires are mandatory in Quebec.
• Never mix tires of different tread, size and construction; this will result in unsafe vehicle handling.
• Tell someone where you're going, your route, time of departure and when you expect to arrive.
• Travel on main roads and highways as much as possible.
Safe driving practices in snow, sleet and ice
• Slow down.
• Leave plenty of distance between your car and the vehicle ahead.
• Slow down when approaching bridges, overpasses and shaded areas; these spots freeze more quickly and will stay frozen longer than neighbouring areas.
• Beware of stretches of road that are black and shiny with frost or ice; this condition can cause your car to lose traction. When you experience such stretches, approach slowly, take your foot off the brake and shift into neutral.
• Avoid sudden braking and acceleration, and jerking the steering wheel, which can cause skidding.
• If you are in a skid, look where you want to go and steer toward that spot.
• If you're on ice and skidding in a straight line, shift into neutral or step on the clutch, and keep your foot off the brake.
• Keep your gas tank full. You don't want to run out of gas any time of year, but especially not in winter.
• Avoid driving in conditions of poor visibility. If you're on the road in such conditions, turn on your bright lights to be more visible.
• Turn back or seek refuge if driving conditions make you uncomfortable.
• Carry a winter survival kit in your car. In a perfect world, this would include a shovel, sand or other traction aid, towrope or chain, flashlight, batteries, warning light or road flares, extra clothing, blankets, emergency food pack (nutrition bars, chocolate, sport drinks), axe, booster cables, ice scraper, brush, gas-line antifreeze, road maps, a first-aid kit (which would include bandages, analgesics such as acetylsalicylic acid, and any medicines essential to your health), 50-hour candles, waterproof matches, a fire extinguisher and a cell phone.
Page 3 of 6 – Page 4 shows you how to keep your kids safe.
