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5 tips for winter driving

Mike Berger, Car Tip Guru from CarSoup shared tips for driving safely in the winter.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Okay, so you’re a life-long Minnesotan and you’re fairly confident that you know everything thing there is to know about winter driving. Super. But a refresher is always a good thing. So, Mike Berger, Car Tip Guru with CarSoup stopped by KARE 11 News at 4 p.m. to give us all a winter wake-up.

First, check your tires. Not sure if your tire tread is up to par? Pull a quarter out of your pocket or purse. Flip the quarter upside down and insert old George’s head into the tread. If the tread covers up part of his head you’re good. But if you can see the top of his head, it’s not just George who is balding…it’s your tire too!

Next, up your wiper blades. If you can’t see the road in front of you, you’re just begging for an accident. There are a couple reasons you may have bad blades. First, if the rubber edges are torn the wiper won’t make proper contact with the windshield to clear away moisture or debris. Second, you may have “old school” wiper blades on your car that put unequal pressure across the windshield and don’t clear the glass properly. Newer blades bend to perfectly distribute and clear the windshield evenly.

Don’t forget your battery! How old is that battery in your car? Sure, it worked great in the summer, but winter is a whole new ball game. In winter, the engine is harder to start, because the oil isn't as "fluid" as it was in July. Secondly, batteries lose power as the temperature drops. Plan to have your mechanic check the battery, charging system and belts every fall.

And here’s a new one…carry hand sanitizer. Picture this: It’s midnight and well below freezing outside. You’re walking to your parked car in downtown Minneapolis. You put the key in the lock and it’s frozen…you can’t get in! Here’s a life-saving tip. Simply put a glob of hand sanitizer on the key and insert it into the lock. The alcohol will dissolve the ice crystals that form inside the lock mechanism of your car door. Just put the key in the lock and wiggle it around a bit. Be patient and let the alcohol do its work. You’ll be inside in no time!

And, of course, don’t forget the emergency kit. What happens if you’re out on a rural road late at night during a snowstorm? Say you plow into a snowdrift and get stuck. Let’s say your phone is also dead and it’s 10-degrees below zero with a killer wind chill. This scenario plays out quite often for Twin Cities drivers and can be quite frightening if you aren’t prepared. Here is a list of items you NEED to have in your car during the winter months:

  • a blanket
  • extra boots, gloves and an extra set of warm clothes
  • extra water and food
  • an ice scraper
  • a small shovel
  • a flashlight
  • windshield washer fluid
  • flares
  • jumper cables
  • a tool kit
  • tire chains
  • a first-aid kit
  • a bag of abrasive material such as sand, salt or non-clumping kitty litter, which can provide additional traction if a tire gets stuck in snow.
  • Also, keep the gas tank as full as you can to prevent the gas lines from freezing.

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