by Erin Thompson

Created on: November 14, 2008

You're driving in a blizzard on your way home for Thanksgiving vacation and you want to change lanes. You start sliding on the ice and quickly jerk the wheel. You realize that you overcompensated and before you know it, the front end of your vehicle is in a ditch.

This is a common occurrence during the first snow of the season, according to Tom Davis, owner of Davis Auto, located at 8757 Wattsburg Rd, Erie.

"A lot of young people aren't taught to drive in the snow and they won't know how to react if they start to slide," said Davis.

But according to Davis, this incident could have been avoided if you had prepared your vehicle for winter by buying snow tires early in the season.

The tread compound in snow tires is usually softer than that used in tires for summer conditions, which provides a better grip on ice and snow.

Before winter begins, Davis suggests that you "check that your tires are good enough to get through the winter."

But that's not the only thing that you should do to prepare for the areas brutal weather conditions. Davis suggests taking your vehicle into a garage to make sure it can handle the weather change "but at the very least, there are some things you can do yourself."

Here are some things he recommends to all types of accidents and to make yourself and your vehicle prepared to handle the season ahead.

When picking out winter tires, "Don't be fooled by Mud and snow tires, just because it says Mud and Snow' doesn't necessarily mean it's a good tire," said Davis. Dedicated winter tires will bear a Mountain/Snowflake Pictograph if it was designed by the American Society for Testing & Materials.

Check your fluids:

Oil: It is recommended by National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) that you change the oil in your vehicle every 3,000 miles or every six months to keep your engine running smoothly. A dirty oil filter can give you trouble in the winter.

Antifreeze: This will protect the cooling system from freezing in harsh weather conditions. ASE recommends that antifreeze in changed every two years to prevent problems later on.

Replace your windshield wipers:

Windshield wipers should be replaced about every six months. Davis recommends using winter blades when it starts to snow because they can be used in the summer as well. Having wipers that work properly is especially important in the winter time, when precipitation is at its worst. "If the wipers don't clean properly when we do inspection, it won't pass," said Davis.

Check your battery:

Winter

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>