How to Cope with Driving in the Winter
If you’ve woken up to discover the roads of New York are completely snow-covered but you have to get in the car, then what do you do? The arrival of winter often means streets are covered in snow, ice is on the highways and low visibility is common if you’re caught in a snowstorm. In some regions, it can become especially challenging to drive safely in bad weather, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drive your Porsche in the winter. Although the weather might slow us down, it’s not impossible to carry on regardless, it just helps if you’re better prepared.
What you need to do to prepare for driving in snow
Learning how to deal with driving on ice or on a snowy road is difficult as these kind of skills can only be learnt through experience. Remaining in control of your vehicle while you car starts to skid or slide can be tricky so it’s a good idea to learn how to achieve maximum efficiency of your anti lock brakes, before you end up in an emergency situation. This is particularly true as the older we get, the more our bodies are slower to react. For example, before getting into a car consider the driving risks involved as a pensioner or if you have a health problem.
What your car needs to have for the snow
To be as safe as possible for driving in extreme conditions, most luxury automakers offer all-wheel drive along with features for traction control for those times when grip becomes minimal. In addition, ensure your tires are in excellent condition and have at least a 6/32-inch deep tread in order to have adequate snow traction; preferably you should change to four snow tires, rather than just two of them.
What you need to have for your car
Whatever kind of car you have, a winter car kit is crucial to keep inside the trunk, just in case to do get stuck somewhere! This should include: a snow shovel and preferably some sand (or even cat litter) so you can dig yourself out of a situation if necessary; in addition, carry a blanket, flashlight and snow scraper so you’ve got every angle covered. Before winter even sets in, check the battery power and antifreeze levels.
Nowadays, luxury cars are expected to have it all: comfort, performance and technology which includes all-weather capabilities so most will do a great job of navigating snow-covered roads. However, when treacherous weather prevails, it’s often best just to stay at home.