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Before you venture out into the snow and ice this winter, be sure that you have winter tires to increase your safety on the road.
Purchase the Jack and Jill of All Tires to help you change your winter tires today!
Even though driving may feel like second nature, when the weather changes the road conditions, we must be extra cautious to ensure the safety of ourselves and others.
Here are some tips to help navigate through the snow and ice:
Drive Slowly
Slow and steady really wins the race! When there’s lots of snow and ice on the ground, driving in slower speeds will help your tires gain more traction and control while on the road.
Keep Your Distance
The more space you keep between you and the vehicle in front, the more time you have to stop or react to sudden action on the road.
Keep Moving
Don’t stop on snow or ice if you can avoid it. It’s difficult to regain inertia when your tires have stopped moving, so we suggest keeping a steady pace when making a turn or approaching a light (U.S. News & World Report).
How to prevent problems on the road
While driving cautiously can help you be safe on the road, there are other ways you can ensure safety throughout your vehicle and travels:
1. Plan your trip and check for weather and road conditions.
Check weather updates from your local news station OR use a weather app on your phone to get the latest conditions of where you are and where you’re going.
2. If you’re in an area that receives snow, consider winter tires.
Check out our previous blog post to learn about this seasons’ weather predictions across Canada and U.S.
3. Carry extra windshield fluid.
Winter aka ‘washer fluid season’ calls for lots of dirt, salt and debris on the road that will impact your visibility while driving. It’s always important to be topped up, but especially during the winter months. Keeping extra washer fluid in your car is a great way to stay safe on the road.
4. Pack an emergency kit.
You can’t plan for an accident – so it’s important to be prepared for when one happens. Keeping a compact emergency kit in your vehicle will get you through the more common dead batteries to more serious roadside incidences. The Get Jacked Safety Kit comes with the tools you need to get yourself out of trouble and items to keep you comfortable until help arrives.
Be sure to check your battery, ignition system, lights, brakes, tire pressure, windshield wipers, heating and cooling systems!
Safe travels this winter.
Aside from the obvious jumper cables, first aid kit, washer fluid, snow brush and ice scraper, there are a few more essentials that every motorist should have in their car during winter.
Here are Jack and Jill’s top 5 winter accessories from Amazon:
1. Windshield Snow Cover
Not only does this cover keep the snow off your windshield, it also saves you from scraping the frost and ice. This accessory will ultimately save you time in the morning for an easier and faster getaway!
2. De-Icer
So your windshield is winter-proofed but your door is iced shut…now what?
A can of de-icer can go a long way. Without damaging your cars’ paint, a quick spray will have the frost and ice instantly melted, giving your arms a well deserved break from scraping.
Now that you’ve made your way into your car, there’s a few more accessories to keep you warm and safe.
3. Regular or Electrical Blanket
Electrical or not, a blanket is a great piece to have on hand for any drive.
4. Unscented Candle
There’s nothing worse than your car suddenly shutting down on the side of the road while it’s below zero. Lighting a large unscented candle will warm up your vehicles’ cabin area long enough to keep you comfortable until help arrives.
You’re stuck, now what?
5. Cat Litter
Not an obvious winter accessory but when you’re stuck in snow or on ice, sprinkle some under your tires. Cat litter will help you gain traction so you can get back on the road.
Consider using these accessories to keep yourself prepared and safe this winter!
Although we may love the idea of a beautiful White Christmas, your car sure doesn’t. If you’re driving on the road often, your vehicle may pick up lots of dirt, salt, rocks and other debris hidden in the snow.
Here are 3 ways to keep the exterior and interior of your car clean this winter:
1. Paint Protector
Winter weather conditions take a toll on the exterior of your car. Just like when you wear gloves, a hat, and coats to endure the snow and cold, your car also deserves some added protection.
Your vehicle’s paint protects the metal from outside elements like ice, salt and debris. Using paint protector will keep the paint in shape and ensure your vehicle is not exposed to corrosive properties (washmenow.ca).
Now is the perfect time to add a layer of protection to your car before the snow and salt start hitting the road. You can either purchase a paint protector and apply it yourself or take your car to a detail shop.
3. A Car Wash Goes a Long Way
One element of winter driving that causes the most exterior damage to your vehicle is road salt. Salt on the road does have benefits for safer driving, however it can cause some damage to your exterior over time.
In-N-Out-Car-Wash explains that “Salt can get into all the cracks and crevasses of your car, waiting for the spring when the weather warms up and it actively starts to produce rust and corrosion.”
Washing your car throughout the winter season is a great way to keep the bottom and sides of your car clean and prevent rust or deterioration.
There are a few options to choose from when washing your car this winter:
- A single wash at your local gas station, estimated between $7.99-$14.99 CAD depending on the service
- Specialty car wash shops such as In-N-Out-Car-Wash
- Season passes offered at local gas stations
3. Don’t Forget to Look Down
Salt, snow, mud and dirt not only make a mess of your exterior but also collect inside. When getting into a vehicle, most of us are focused on getting away from the cold that we don’t pay attention to the mess we bring in.
If you haven’t done so already, look into purchasing rubber floor mats for your car. Even though most cars have a rubber base, a mat will make cleaning out dirt and salt much easier and allow you to keep it clean more often.
Tip: To clean the mats themselves, use a rim and tire cleaner to get rid of the stains the salt leaves behind.
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The winter season is quickly approaching and it’s time to start thinking about changing your tires!
When it comes to the winter season, it’s important to take extra precautions when driving. The weather conditions and cold temperatures have a drastic effect on the function of your regular car tires. So, it’s important to consider changing to winter tires once the temperature starts to drop even if you don’t see the snow!
Why are winter tires so important?
Many parts of Canada and the United States experience extreme winter conditions that make driving very difficult and hazardous. Although all-season tires can somewhat navigate through snow and ice, they may not fully perform well in extreme cases; making winter tires a necessity on the road.
Studies show that at 7° C (44° F), the rubber on all-season tires will stiffen up and begin to have less traction on the road.
Enoch Omololu states that “the main difference between winter and all-season tires is in the rubber compound used to make them. Winter tires are made of softer rubber that remains flexible when temperatures drop and maintain a grip on the road. In addition, winter tires have deeper threads that allow for a bigger bite and traction on snow and ice.”
Where are winter tires mandatory?
In Canada there are only two provinces that have legal regulations for winter tires:
British Columbia
- Many roads in BC require winter OR all-season tires between October 1st and March 31st
- Some places outside of the Greater Vancouver and Victoria regions (mountainous regions) require tire chains/studded tires
- A failure to follow these requirements will result in a fine of $109
Quebec
- The previous mandatory date for changing to winter tires was December 15th but has been moved up to December 1st through to March 15th as of 2019, in efforts to increase road safety and encourage other parts of Canada to follow by example
- This includes every type of motorized vehicle
- Failure to comply with this regulation may result in a fine between $200-$300
United States
Throughout the United States there are no regulations that legally require you to have winter tires. However, it’s recommended that people driving within the Snow Belt, an area subject to low temperatures and heavy snowfalls, should consider changing to winter tires.
How can the Jack and Jill of All Tires help?
Of course it’s simple to make an appointment at your local mechanic to get your winter tires changed. But why go through the inconvenience of taking time off work and waiting around because of the inevitable delays, just to do it all again in 5 months time? With the Jack and Jill of All Tires you can change your tires on your own schedule.
The average cost of a tire change is $60 CAD, and that’s just for one car for one season! The minimum cost of having your tires changed for you would be around $120 CAD, and at a retail price of $220 CAD, the Jack and Jill of All Tires will pay for itself within two years. Now imagine the time and money you’ll save if you have more than one car to maintain!
- Having a mechanic change your tires could take hours.
- Changing them on your own could take 40 minutes.
- And ordering a Jack and Jill will only take 5!
Order your Jack and Jill of All Tires today and change your tires by the weekend.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac and how it can help you:
In preparation for the winter season, it’s important to do some research about what the upcoming weather predictions will be. The Old Farmer’s Almanac; more specifically the long range forecast is the perfect source! The forecast accuracy is about 80 % due to the gathering and study of overall weather patterns.
The long range forecast can predict weather patterns and temperatures for up to two months, so it’s a perfect source to consider when thinking about changing your tires.
The Farmer’s Almanac bases its forecasts on three scientific disciplines:
- solar science (the study of sunspots and other solar activity)
- climatology (the study of prevailing weather patterns)
- meteorology (the study of the atmosphere)
In making accurate predictions, the information is gathered amongst different regions throughout the United States and Canadian Provinces.
Canadian winters really portray the perfect ‘white Christmas’, however, if you live in Ontario you may experience a harsher winter than the other provinces with temperatures and snowfall expected to be greater than normal.
- Includes: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and part of Québec.
- Winter temperatures will be normal with the coldest period beginning mid-December to early March. Precipitation will be below normal in the north but above normal in the south. The snowfall will be above average beginning mid November to early February.
- Winter temperatures will be normal with the coldest periods in early December to late February. The snowfall will be generally below normal but the snowiest period will be from late November to late March.
- Winter temperatures, precipitation and snowfall will be above average. The coldest period will be from mid-November to early March while the snowiest period will be from early December to early March.
- Includes: Southern Alberta, Southern Manitoba and Southern Saskatchewan.
- Temperatures will be higher than normal with above normal precipitation. It will be the coldest beginning in early January through early March. The snowfall will be below average in the west but above average everywhere else with the snow beginning mid-November to early April
- Winter will be colder with above normal precipitation and below normal snowfall. The coldest and snowiest period being from mid-December to mid-February.
Northwest Territories and Yukon
- Winter temperatures, precipitation and snowfall will be above normal.
- For the Northwest Territories, the coldest period will be from early January to mid-February while the snowiest period will be from mid-November to late December.
- While in Yukon the coldest period will be from late November to early March and the snowiest period from mid-November until early February.
The winter season throughout the United States varies depending on what region you live in. Those who live further north, specifically in the snowbelt, will experience different ranges of temperatures and snowfall this year.
Keep reading to learn more about your location.
- Includes (parts of): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont.
- The winter will be milder than normal with above normal precipitation and normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be throughout January and the snowiest periods will be from mid-November to early January
- Includes (parts of): Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, NY, NJ, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia.
- The winter temperatures will be above average with the coldest period being between mid-January to late February. Precipitation will be above normal while the snowfall will be a little below average. The snowiest period will be throughout February.
- Includes (parts of): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
- Winter will be normal with above average precipitation. The coldest periods will be from early December to mid-January. The snowfall will be above normal, specifically in Ohio, and the snowiest period will be from early January to late March.
- Includes (parts of): Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota.
- The winter temperatures will be above normal with the coldest and snowiest periods taking place from early January to late March.
If you live in any of these regions and are expecting snow beginning early November, consider changing your tires with the Jack and Jill of All Tires to be prepared for this upcoming winter!
For further information about daily, monthly and yearly weather predictions in your region, you can head over to the Almanac website and discover more about general weather and temperature patterns.
For most people driving has become second nature. Doing an activity so seamlessly every day can cause us to pick up some bad habits that could potentially put us in danger on the road!
1. Using your cellphone
We know by now that texting or talking on the phone is the most dangerous habit to have while driving. Our attention is focused on our device and not on the road, and is a major cause of distraction and accidents. Different provinces and states have their own legal ways of controlling the use of devices while driving.
For the safety of yourself and others on the road, be sure to put your phone away or pull over to send a text or take an important phone call.
2. Eating while driving
With all of these quick drive-thru options, it’s hard to resist grabbing your morning coffee with a quick breakfast, or getting an easy lunch on the go. However, eating while driving is a habit that is just as dangerous as being on the phone.
Your mind is attempting to focus on the road while also eating, drinking and trying not to make a mess. It’s best as the driver to finish your food before heading back on the road or wait until you reach your destination.
3. Entertaining your passengers
Your vehicle is an easy place to socialise with your family or friends. Whether it’s engaging in conversation, playing a movie for those in the back or trying to talk with everyone; it can all be too distracting.
Again your mind is focusing on the people, the conversations and the other things around you. Your attention may draw towards what’s happening inside the car rather than outside of it.
As a driver, you hold a responsibility to keep your passengers safe, so attempting to entertain them while also focusing on the road is a bad habit.
4. Pets
Who wouldn’t want their best friend riding shot-gun? Having your pet beside you may seem like a good idea, however trying to drive while also taking care of your pet that needs attention is dangerous for not only you but the dog as well. A dog on your lap limits your ability to manoeuvre the car, especially during a collision. Even in the passenger’s seat, your dog could be severely injured by an airbag.
Results from a AAA NEWSROOM SURVEY included this statistic:
An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph (48 Kph) will exert roughly 300 pounds of pressure, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert approximately 2,400 pounds of pressure.
The safest place to keep your dog is in the backseat secured by a seatbelt seatbelt or in a crate!
5. Loud music
Of course we all love to belt out to our favourite tunes! And if you don’t turn into a professional karaoke singer when you drive, are you even driving? But this little habit can have you singing and dancing in your seat and cause you to lose focus on the road.
We aren’t saying to never play your music, but make sure to keep the volume at a level where you can pay attention to the road and your surroundings; more importantly so you can hear other drivers and first responders.
Make your drive safer for you and your passengers by breaking these 5 habits!
Want to learn more about safety tips on the road? Check out our other blog posts here for more information about tire safety and travel tips!
