With the forecast calling for several days of below freezing temperatures and a record number of motorists traveling over the year-end holiday, AAA is urging drivers to take every step today to make sure their cars are ready for tomorrow…and the frigid week ahead.
“Being stuck along the side of the road is inconvenient at any time of year but at this time of year, in the extreme cold, it is potentially unsafe for drivers and passengers alike,” says Tracy Noble, Public & Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “No one should be leaving their homes, or the homes they are visiting over the holiday, in a vehicle that is not winter ready”.
Primarily, AAA says, this means ensuring that your vehicle’s battery is in good working condition and that the tires are properly inflated for colder temperatures.
How to Prepare Your Vehicle for the Cold
1.Make sure your tires are inflated for cold weather
- A ‘cold weather pressure’ is typically posted on a sticker inside the driver’s door.
- Tires need more pressure when it is cold and under inflated tires are more likely to sustain a blow out or flat.
2.Make sure you battery is strong.
- It takes a battery twice as much power to start a vehicle when temperatures drop below freezing.
- Most batteries last 3-5 years so any battery more than 3 years old is at risk.
3.Stock a Cold Weather Emergency Kit
- Most important is fully charged cellphone so you can call for help
- Extra charger
- Extra coat, gloves, hats, blanket
- Flares or flashlight with additional batteries so you can see and be seen – especially at night
- Shovel, Ice scraper, de-icer
- Kitty litter, sand, or other abrasive materials
And, of course, AAA is reminding all motorists to make sure their AAA memberships are up to date.
(Given the extreme cold, AAA is offering additional membership discounts through Dec 31 with use of the PROMO CODE ‘SAFETY”.)