Right now is the time to get your car ready for the Colorado winter

COLORADO SPRINGS — Issues are beginning to settle down right here in Southern Colorado as we settle into fall. And with winter climate simply across the nook, it’s essential to arrange your automobile for winter driving.

We spoke with Patterson Brothers Automotive who supplied steering on how to make sure your automobile is prepped correctly forward of winter situations.

First, you must all the time ensure your battery is working correctly to keep away from the chance of breaking down. You also needs to change your wiper blades and have your brakes checked, in addition to belts, hoses, spark plugs, or different cables.

Be sure to all the time have an ice scraper accessible for if you begin your journey and past. We all know the snow can come down shortly so ensuring that you’ll be able to see clearly cannot solely hold you secure however different drivers as nicely.

“Ensuring your coolant system is as much as par. Preserving jumper cables in your automobile, simply in case your battery dies, somebody might get you began. I like to recommend having a primary assist equipment and a blanket. Sure issues in your automobile in order that in the event you do get caught within the snow, you do not freeze to loss of life.”

Having a tow rope can also be essential in case you must tow somebody out or must be towed out. You also needs to embody highway flares, to ensure that individuals see you when it’s snowing due to the chance of lowered visibility.

Do not forget to have your tire stress checked earlier than the climate cools down, and in addition proceed to verify your tire stress all through the winter season. Investing in good, high quality tires. Those that drive inside metropolis limits can spend money on all-weather tires. Individuals with an additional commute or those that take rural roads may need to contemplate investing in winter tires.

“Ensuring your coolant system is as much as par. Preserving jumper cables in your automobile, simply in case your battery dies, somebody might get you began. I like to recommend having a primary assist equipment and a blanket. Sure issues in your automobile in order that in the event you do get caught within the snow, you do not freeze to loss of life.”

Be sure to get your tire stress checked earlier than the climate cools down, and in addition proceed to verify your tire stress all through the winter season. Schillinger additionally recommends investing in good, high quality tires. Those that drive inside metropolis limits can spend money on all-weather tires. He says those that have an additional commute and take rural roads may need to contemplate investing in winter tires. Anybody who wants assist making ready their automobiles for the winter months can all the time schedule an appointment at an area auto store.

Everybody ought to carry a Survival Equipment of their automobile year-round, however in Colorado, that you must tailor that for winter driving.

• a shovel (There are small foldable shovels)
• windshield scraper
• flashlight with additional batteries
• battery powered radio
• water
• snack meals together with vitality bars
• raisins and mini sweet bars
• matches and small candles
• additional hats, socks and mittens
• First assist equipment with pocket knife
• Needed medicines
• blankets or sleeping bag
• tow chain or rope
• highway salt, sand, or cat litter for traction
• booster cables
• emergency flares and reflectors
• Mobile phone adapter to plug into lighter

New to a state with winter climate? We advocate testing our information to winter climate driving on snow and ice.

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RELATED:

What are the rules for plowing Colorado roads?

What’s Accident Alert or Chilly Reporting?

Statewide Street Situations through cotrip.org

Wish to know the place the snowplows are? Click on right here.

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Useful reminders in the event you’re on the highway in winter climate:

• Enable additional time. Go away early and plan on needing additional time to get to your vacation spot when situations deteriorate.
• Drive slowly and depart house. Driving takes longer when roads are snowy or slick. Decrease your velocity as wanted and hold your headlights on. Go away additional room between you and the automobile in entrance of you.
• Slowly velocity up and decelerate. Apply the brakes early and evenly to cease. Speed up at a gradual and constant price. Keep momentum when attainable. All of those will assist your tires keep traction and keep away from skidding.
• Fuel up and have an emergency equipment. Maintain your tank fueled, particularly when a storm is coming. The extra gasoline you’ve gotten, the longer you’ll be able to run the heater within the automobile in the event you’re ever stranded.
• Have an emergency equipment in case you’re ever caught. This might embody water, meals, heat clothes, a flashlight, charger, first assist equipment, and something you’d want in the event you have been stranded for any size of time.

Whether or not you’re a professional at winter driving or it’s your first winter in Colorado, it’s nonetheless essential to be ready and take it gradual if you head out for our snowy days forward.
In Colorado, your all-season tires might not be sufficient. With that in thoughts, there are two main legal guidelines each Colorado driver must know for the winter.

TRACTION LAW:

Wherever the Colorado Division of Transportation or the Colorado State Patrol places them into impact all automobiles on the freeway or interstate listed should have both snow tires, four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, or one other different traction machine.

In the event you’re caught with out these, or with tires which have lower than a 1/eighth of an inch of tread, you could possibly be fined as much as $650 in the event you trigger an accident or block the highway.

CHAIN LAW:

Implementation of the passenger automobile chain legislation is fairly uncommon, as it’s the final resort for CDOT earlier than shutting down a highway.

Beneath this legislation, each single automobile on the highway should have chains or an alternate traction machine. The fines for violators are once more as much as $650 in the event you trigger an accident or block the highway.

Whereas these legal guidelines can be used principally within the mountains they are often carried out on any Colorado freeway by CDOT or native authorities.

For extra info on traction and chain legal guidelines in Colorado, go to CDOT’s web page.

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