Winter Driving – Are You Prepared For The Snow?

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor YourMechanic!

Winter driving here in sunny California is almost laughable.  I mean this isn’t Iowa!  Right?  But, I’m sure so many of us (myself included) have trips planned to go to the snow.  And the real question is – are you prepared for winter driving?

winter driving anaheim moms blogAs in, is your car prepared?  

One of my very good friends RUINED her car tires because they put the wrong chains on the car.  That’s right, all 4 tires had to be replaced from a simple mistake!  That budget-friendly trip to Big Bear just cost them a couple thousand more dollars.  Yikes!

Which is why we are so thankful to have YourMechanic.  They’ve compiled a list of some very practical ways to get your car ready for winter driving.  

Snow Tires

Not all tires are created equal. Snow tires are distinctly different from their all-season counterparts. Snow tires are designed specifically to cut through the white stuff. Because of this, they have many unique design features:

  • Tread made specifically for ice, snow and other winter condition
  • Specially formulated rubber that stays pliable at low temperatures
  • Biting edges on the treads

A set of snow tires provides your car with better winter braking, handling, and traction. Snow tires can be distinguished by the mountain/snowflake symbol on the side of the tire.

BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE THEM ON ALL THE TIME!  

Seriously, snow tires are only for winter driving in the SNOW.  Not cruising to the beach.

Floor mats

Snow mixes with dirt to create slush. Slush is worse than regular mud when it comes to dirtying up your car – it’s like, super mud.

An easy way to protect your vehicle’s carpet from the kid’s slush-covered sneakers is to add a set of floor mats. Floor mats are an inexpensive way to keep your car’s carpet looking new.  And they can be used all year – think sand.

Windshield frost guard

Nothing – except maybe stale leftover Christmas fruitcake– is worse than scraping frost off your windshield. This loathsome activity can be avoided with a windshield frost guard. These handy contraptions cover your windshield to prevent frost and ice buildup. The guard is placed on the windshield and then held in place by straps around the vehicle’s side minors. Installation takes only a couple minutes – totally worth it.  This is especially helpful for us California winter drivers who aren’t used to scraping ice off of anything!

Anti-freeze wiper fluid

Another way to beat windshield frost and ice is with ant-freeze wiper fluid. Unlike regular wiper fluid that freezes as soon as it hits your windshield – leaving you with little to no visibility – anti-freeze wiper fluid actually helps clean off the frost and ice. It is specially formulated to the melt ice. This makes it handy for clearing off your windshield in the morning too if you decide not to splurge on a windshield frost guard.

Seat heaters

Nothing is better on a cold winter’s day that a set of seater heaters to warm your bum. Or on any day when the temperature is below 60, am I right?!

Thankfully this can be added to any car! The heater elements simply install behind the fabric of your vehicle’s seats. Then the kit is wired into the vehicle’s electrical system. Now, you can install seat heaters in your 1972 Gremlin.

Thankfully YourMechanic has got all of this covered AND more!  Schedule your appointment with them today and make sure your car is ready for winter driving!