For many of us in the Northern States, we are in the thick of winter (kudos to our North Eastern friends for pushing through Winter Storm Juno like it was nothing). January for northern states is marked by the following attributes: it’s freezing, snow and salt is literally everywhere, and road conditions have this wonderful tendency to go from normal to perilous within the blink of an eye.
Most northern drivers manage to adapt to winter roads after a few weeks and are then able to eek through the rest of the season. But that’s not good enough. We are tough snow people, we don’t “eek”; this word shouldn’t even be in our vocabulary! This week we are giving you some helpful tips so that you can confidently tackle winter like a boss.
Brush Up on Winter Driving Techniques
Driving in slippery snow conditions is a skill that needs to be learned, practiced, and refined. If you can’t verbally explain how to regain control from an over or under steer, then you won’t be able to execute the proper technique when the situation more than likely presents itself. We recommend checking out this great video that demonstrates solid winter driving techniques.
Improve Your Traction
4 Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive are great options to have on your vehicle. These drive options are great for providing you with that extra ounce of control in slippery conditions. However, if your tires can’t get traction, the drive system is pretty much irrelevant. If you really want to tackle winter roads like a boss, we recommend picking up a set of winter tires for the snowier months. Winter tires are made with a softer rubber that will help your vehicle get a solid grip on the road. Check out this video from Auto Express that demonstrates how effective a good set of winter tires really are.
Protect Your Ride
Winter roads are unforgiving on your vehicle, from perpetual salt bombardment, to excessive moisture levels, to chunks of ice flying off other cars at high rates of speed. We recommend using some of our tested products to help keep your vehicle protected from these very common hazards.
Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film, is an extremely resilient and optically clear protective barrier between your vehicle’s paint and the hazards of the winter roads. Z-Shield® will keep your vehicle’s paint job show room ready for years to come. It takes the beating of rock salt and ice chunks so your paint doesn’t have to.
When it comes to staying protected from road salt, nothing out there works harder or better than genuine Ziebart Rust Protection and Undercoating. If you plan on keeping your vehicle for the long haul and free of unsightly rust, then you will want to use the most trusted name in rust protection: Ziebart.
Keep calm if stuck.
Sometimes, despite practicing proper driving techniques and having the right gear, you will still find yourself stuck. If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend staying calm and follow these great tips from our friends over at Jalopnik.
With these simple tips and tricks, you will be able to drive in confidence and handle hazardous winter roads like a champ. If you’re interested in protecting your vehicle from winter damage, contact your local Ziebart today!