24% of car accidents happen on slushy, snow-covered pavements and 15% of those happen during snowfall. These records of weather-related mishaps can be avoided to reduce fatalities during winters.
The rough weather combined with lack of preparation leads to vehicle crashes that result in unfortunate deaths and casualties.
Around 116,000 Americans lose their lives on the roads every winter partly because of carelessness. This can easily be avoided if proper care is taken before hitting the road in snowy weather.
There are certain winter tools that need to be in your car throughout the winters. Here are a few.
- Snow Brush and Ice Scraper
Equip yourself with a snow brush as soon as temperatures start to drop. You never know when you’ll discover a layer of snow on your car the morning after it snowed the entire night.
It’s dangerous to drive with snow on your windscreen because it obstructs your vision and could potentially lead to accidents. It could also be swept off yours at high speeds and land on someone else’s windscreen, putting other vehicles at risk.
Frozen ice also tends to slide off the roof down onto windscreens. This is very unexpected and catches drivers off guard. To avoid such situations, always keep an ice scraper with you in the car to clean it completely before driving.
- Shovel
A collapsible shovel will easily fit in the trunk of your car or under the seats. Unless you have a lot of time at your hands, you can’t wait for the road to be cleared when you’re rushing to work. A little inconvenience on the road can be cleared with a shovel to make way for yourself and others. Or if your car gets stuck in snow, you can use the shovel to your aid.
- Gloves
You might have the right equipment to use (in case of an emergency) but you might not be able to use it in freezing temperatures, without a pair of gloves. To work with a shovel or ice scraper, you need to keep your hands warm and dry to function in the cold weather. After all, you don’t want to get frostbite while trying to clear the path with a shovel and bare hands.
- Extra Warm Clothing
It doesn’t hurt keeping an extra winter jacket, a woolen cap and a fleece blanket in the car. You never know when the cold decides to go off the charts and it becomes unbearable. With your body freezing and numbing in the chill, it’s hard to focus on the road too.
- Emergency Reflectors
During snowfall or storms, visibility suffers a lot. Be it day or night, it’s hard to see two meters ahead of your car at times. If you park your car by the roadside, you’ll need something to ward off other cars so that they don’t collide into yours. For this reason, it’s important to have reflectors so that other cars can spot yours even during low visibility.
- Jumper Cables
It’s not unusual for car engines to die down during winters. Without the engine running, not only are you stranded on the road but also freezing to cold without the heater on. Having jumper cables with you at such times will shorten the time it takes to get the engine running again.
Looking for essential accessories to keep in your car during winters?
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