Keeping your car in good shape can affect your auto insurance quotes, and one of the most important times your car needs special attention is when getting ready for winter. The time to start this project isn’t after winter has already hit, but well in advance, so you and your vehicle are both ready before that first big storm.
Regular maintenance
Oftentimes, those little problems that just seemed nagging in warmer months become big issues by the time winter rolls around. It’s best to take care of maintenance issues prior to getting stranded in a snow drift. This includes maintaining regular oil changes, making sure all lights (including hazard lights) are working, and keeping fluids topped.
Visit your mechanic
A trained professional should be involved to check a few things more thoroughly before winter sets in. This includes your car battery performance, making sure your heater and thermostat both work properly, and that your defroster is effective. Belts and hoses should also be checked, as cracked or worn rubber isn’t likely to withstand the colder temperatures of winter.
Check your tires
The air pressure in your tires changes when the air outside changes temperatures, so be sure to top off your gauges. Also, the making sure the tread on your tires is important, as good traction is a key factor in avoiding the kinds of accidents that result in higher auto insurance quotes. You may even consider in investing in a set of snow tires designed especially for handling winter roads.
Emergency Kits
It’s a good idea to keep an emergency kit in the trunk of your car throughout the year, just in case something should happen. Include a flashlight with extra batteries (or one that doesn’t require any), water (be sure to leave enough room in the bottle to allow for freezing expansion), trail mix or protein bars, and a first aid kid. Other necessities include a can of Fix-A-Flat, jumper cables, and emergency flares. In the winter, this basic emergency kit should be supplemented with a couple blankets, a bag of sand or kitty litter, and some strips of old carpet, for getting traction on slick ice when stuck.
Dedicated winter upgrades
Finally, you may purchase special gear made just for winter use. The snow tires listed above are a good example; another example includes replacing the normal fluid used for your windshield with a formula designed especially for use in freezing weather. Special wiper blades can cut better through an ice-coated windshield than standard blades. Some of these upgrades may count as added safety features that end up lowering your auto insurance quotes.