by: Loren Varner
Whether you?re leaving the city heading to the Mammoth Mountain/Lake Tahoe High Sierra country for its beauty and relaxation, or planning that ski trip from Scottsdale to Snowbowl, here are some tips for a safe and pleasant journey.
Be sure to see also Part 2:
?Don?t get in Trouble, but if you do -?.?
Driving in winter conditions tests your car to the limit.
If something isn't working properly under the best conditions it certainly isn't going to work when it's cold and stormy.
Check weather and travel conditions before heading out.
Don't take chances if the weather is bad.
Don?t drive when there are whiteouts, freezing rain or blizzards.
Leave early to allow extra time to get to your destination.
Buckle up; always use your belt.
This means all passengers and children, too.
Whenever starting your car, make sure that there is nothing obstructing the tailpipe, and never warm up your car in a closed garage.
If you feel tired, pull off the road and rest!
Check engine oil, especially before long trips.
Use winter weight (5W-30) or all-season oil.
Check tire pressure, tire condition, and spare tire pressure regularly.
Tires lose on the average 1 pound per month through normal leakage.
Inspect the belts and hoses to be sure they are free from frays, cracks, leaks or rotted rubber.
Make sure that radiator hose clamps are tight in order to prevent leaks at the connections.
Be sure all lights are in good working order, and that your brakes, windshield wipers, defroster, heater and exhaust system are in top condition.
Have a mechanic check the battery and charging system.
Keep battery terminals clean, tight, free of corrosion, and dry.
If you find that you need a new battery, get the biggest that will fit in your car.
Keep the windshield and windows clear.
Change to winter wiper blades, which are made for driving in snow.
Check windshield washer fluid level.
It?s a good idea to keep some extra fluid in the trunk in case you run out.
Make sure you get fluid appropriate for the lowest temperature you will experience.
Check coolant level and mixture.
Make certain the antifreeze will protect your car to the lowest winter temperature you'll be exposed to where you will be driving.
Keep the gas tank as full as possible.
It may be necessary to change routes or turn back during a bad storm, or you may be caught in a traffic delay.
If you get stranded, the engine will be your only source of heat.
(Make sure you keep a window open a crack if you're sitting there with the engine running.)
Always keep an updated map of your route, an extra car key in your pocket, and a cell phone and small change or a calling card for a payphone.
It?s a good idea to keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle: blanket, hats, boots, gloves, change of clothing, small broom, ice scraper, small snow shovel, towel, flashlight, batteries, kitty litter or burlap for traction, jumper cables, a tool kit, tire chains, a properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod-type jack.
Additional items for the trunk include a Help sign to put in your window, brightly-colored cloth, a compass, first aid kit, wooden matches in a waterproof container, scissors, string, and canned food along with a can opener.
Always carry chains.
Sandbags in the trunk over the rear axle will provide better traction in rear wheel vehicles.
Use winter tires.
They improve driving safety by providing better traction and handling through snow, slush, and on ice, but never mix tires of different tread, size and construction.
Because of winter's lower temperatures, the air pressure in tires will drop. Check tires after driving a short distance to warm them up for an accurate reading.
Adding air to cold tires can result in over-inflated tires when they warm up.
It can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road.
Don't get overconfident with four-wheel drive.
Four-wheel drive helps you get going quicker but it won't help you stop any faster.
Drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop.
Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.
Maneuver gently, avoiding harsh braking and acceleration.
If your car is equipped with anti-lock brakes, do not pump them.
To avoid skids, brake carefully and gently on snow or ice.
"Squeeze" your brakes in slow, steady strokes.
Allow the wheels to keep rolling.
If they start to lock up, ease off the brake pedal.
As you slow down, you may also want to shift gently into a lower gear.
Be careful when approaching shaded areas, bridges, and overpasses, as these sections of road freeze much sooner in cold weather and stay frozen long after the sun has risen.
Don't use your cruise control or overdrive when it's freezing (or colder). Even roads that appear clear can have isolated slippery spots and the quick touch of your brakes to deactivate cruise control can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
With overdrive, as you encounter a hill your vehicle automatically accelerates or downshifts, which can cause loss of traction.
So, whether you?re to stay at Scottsdale, an Aspen resort and spa or luxury Vail hotel, there?s much more involved than just finding discounted hotel accommodations; be sure to plan a safe and pleasant trip!
(See also Part 2:
?Don?t get in Trouble, but if you do -?.?)
About The Author
Loren Varner is a Contributing Editor at http://www.AreaMaps.org, a site providing quick and easy access to city and resort area information, coupled with dynamic maps detailing many local accommodations, restaurants and attractions.
|
How To Find The Best Bicycle Frame Looking Beyond Its Paint
How To Find The Best Bicycle Frame Looking Beyond Its Paint
by: Alastair Hamilton
Whether you're shopping for a bike or just admiring them, the first part you notice is probably the bicycle frame. The frame is the heart of a bicycle, as well as its art. Including the basically triangular core structure that supports both seat and handlebars and the extensions that attach to the wheels, the color and the geometry of the bicycle frame not only affects the beauty of the bike, but its strength and speed as well. The pleasure and success you derive from bicycle riding will be strongly impacted by having the right frame for your physique and your purposes.
The Two Most Important Aspects of Bicycle Frames Are Their Materials and Their Configuration
Naturally, your bicycle frame will take into dramatic account whether you ride primarily on roads or off-road. Not only are so-called mountain bike frames made of noticeably bigger "tubes," they are...
How To Find The Best Bicycle Frame Looking Beyond Its Paint
Toyo tires > How To Find The Best Bicycle Frame Looking Beyond Its Paint
Toyota Corolla: Still One of America?s Most Trusted Cars
Toyota Corolla: Still One of America?s Most Trusted Cars
by: Mark Clarkson
A carryover from the previous year, 2005, the 2006 Toyota Corolla is a four-door, 5-passenger family sedan, or sports sedan. It is made available in four trims, which ranges from the CE to the XRS. When this vehicle was introduced, the CE has been equipped with a standard 1.8 liter, I4, 126-horsepower engine that has the capability to achieve 32-mpg when in the city, and 41-mpg if driving on the highway. Standard for the line is a 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive, however, a 4-speed automatic transmission with drive is optional. For the XRS, this trim has been equipped with a standard 1.8 liter, I4, 164-horsepower engine that is able to attain 26-mpg during city driving and 34-mpg while on the highway. Standard for this trim is the 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive.
The newest Toyota Corolla comes in one body style. This is a four-door sedan. The Toyota...
Toyota Corolla: Still One of America?s Most Trusted Cars
Toyo tires > Toyota Corolla: Still One of America?s Most Trusted Cars
The Heavenly Vehicle
The Heavenly Vehicle
by: Mark Clarkson
The Toyota Celica?s name is actually a Spanish word that means ?heavenly? or ?celestial?. This vehicle was originally crafted and designed for those people who were young at heart and also for those people who desired and longed for simple transportation. Planning for this vehicle started in 1967. This vehicle lived a ripe age up until 2004. During the time of its planning and design, the Toyota Celica sported a style that was considered to be revolutionary for that time. It also became quite an influential vehicle as per the establishment of the sporty subcompact market segment.
Originally, this vehicle was equipped with a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine. It was made available in only one trim level which was the ST form. This vehicle was a sport coupe that held two doors. It was rather an image car, not a high-volume car. It sold well during that time.
Through the years, the Toyota Celica underwent...
The Heavenly Vehicle
Toyo tires > The Heavenly Vehicle
What To Look For When Purchasing An ATV Tire
What To Look For When Purchasing An ATV Tire
by: Mike Barus
If you are in the market for purchasing tires for your all terrain vehicle (ATV), there are several factors for consideration.
There are a great variety of tires on the market and it is quite easy to become overwhelmed at the sheer number of choices available from different brands.
In order to find the best tires for your specific ATV that meets your needs, consider these three points:
1.) Tread:
When it comes to tires, the most important attribute is the tread.
Different tires have different types of tread that make the ATV appropriate for navigating different types of terrain.
If using the improper tires, accidents are more prone to occur, so ensure you seriously contemplate the uses of your ATV in order to find the appropriate tire tread.
For individuals planning on spending time in the mud, it is strongly recommended that...
What To Look For When Purchasing An ATV Tire
Toyo tires > What To Look For When Purchasing An ATV Tire
Auto Parts Inner Offers Preventive Car Maintenance Tips and Quality Replacement Parts for Ford, BMW, Toyota, Honda Chevrolet and More
Auto Parts Inner Offers Preventive Car Maintenance Tips and Quality Replacement Parts for Ford, BMW, Toyota, Honda Chevrolet and More
by: Terry Brown
Believing that prevention is still better than cure, Auto Parts Inner offers preventive maintenance tips to a lot of car users in order to avoid common car problems, frequent repair and car part replacement and thus, prolong the life of their vehicle.
Auto Parts Inner suggests a regular inspection of the vehicle?s major and minor parts, including the cooling system, engine system, ignition systems and the electrical system components.
It is also important to check all fluids in your car such as the transmission fluid, brake fluid and power steering fluid. They must be kept in normal level to ensure your safety.
Furthermore, you must make sure that the wheels are properly aligned and the tires are well inflated to ensure safety, better handling and ride quality.
In addition,...
Auto Parts Inner Offers Preventive Car Maintenance Tips and Quality Replacement Parts for Ford, BMW, Toyota, Honda Chevrolet and More
Toyo tires > Auto Parts Inner Offers Preventive Car Maintenance Tips and Quality Replacement Parts for Ford, BMW, Toyota, Honda Chevrolet and More
Mortgage Refinance: 4 Ways To Know It?s Time to Refinance Your House.
Mortgage Refinance: 4 Ways To Know It?s Time to Refinance Your House.
by: Richard Martin
You may want to refinance your home for several reasons.
1)Mortgage Rates might be lower now. The biggest reason that people refinance their mortgages is to save money.
No matter what has happened to you, there is always a good reason to start saving money.
A lower rate on your mortgage can help you stretch out the payments so that every month you are paying less to live in your house than the previous month.
When interest rates are low and you had previously locked your mortgage into a higher price, it might be a good idea to shop your rate around to see how low you can get it.
The early 2000's have been an environment of very low mortgage rates which make it a good idea to shop around to see if you can refinance your mortgage.
2)You need money and need to stretch out your payments.
Maybe you've...
Toyo tires > Mortgage Refinance: 4 Ways To Know It?s Time to Refinance Your House.
Counterfeit Handbags and Terrorism
Counterfeit Handbags and Terrorism
by: Cathy Feldman
In most major cities in the world, there is an active and highly profitable shadow economy in phony consumer goods that generates (in some estimates) upwards of 500 billion dollars a year. If have ever been down to "Counterfeit Alley" in midtown Manhattan, you have seen one of the biggest counterfeit marketplaces in the world.
While many of us spend our waking hours lusting after the latest fashion...
Safe Driving on Ski Trips -? Part 1 -? The Basics Toyo tires Counterfeit Handbags and Terrorism purses
Toyo tires > Counterfeit Handbags and Terrorism
Petroleum and Cosmetics: What Are The Potential Health Risks?
Petroleum and Cosmetics: What Are The Potential Health Risks?
by: Lori Stryker
What is petroleum?
Crude oil, sometimes called petroleum, is a fossil fuel that was produced deep in the earth through a process that took millions of years to complete.
Millions of years later, almost all of us come into contact with a derivative of petroleum every day. Through a process called fractional distillation, petroleum refineries break petroleum into many of...
Safe Driving on Ski Trips -? Part 1 -? The Basics
Toyo tires > Petroleum and Cosmetics: What Are The Potential Health Risks?
A Credit Card Can Sing A Christmas Carol
A Credit Card Can Sing A Christmas Carol
by: Peter Kenny
?Christmas Time, Mistletoe and Wine? How many times have you heard this so far and its only November? A few I?ll bet, but with Christmas seemingly becoming earlier to us each year, we will no doubt feel the need to get ahead with our present and food buying. This though only leads to us spending more than we should. This is because with the shops full of decorations and Christmas tunes, the stores are dictating...
Safe Driving on Ski Trips -? Part 1 -? The Basics
Toyo tires > A Credit Card Can Sing A Christmas Carol
How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes
How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes
by: Ian Smith
Golf Shoes are a very important part of your success as a golfer, we all spend hours choosing clubs, and five minutes choosing Golf Shoes.
This is just crazy when you consider you will walk somewhere over 4 miles every time you play, and you?ll be on your feet for anything from 3 to 5 hours. Like me you probably haven?t given much thought to the part that golf shoes play in reducing your handicap....
Safe Driving on Ski Trips -? Part 1 -? The Basics socks Toyo tires How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes
Toyo tires > How to Buy and Look After Your Golf Shoes
The Rose: Christina Aguilera's Favorite Flower?
The Rose: Christina Aguilera's Favorite Flower?
by: Wesley Berry
The rose has long been a favorite flower of many women, but is it the favorite flower of Christina Aguilera? The truth is, I don't know, but judging by the elaborate floral chuppah of brightly colored orange, yellow, and burgundy roses conspicuously present at her wedding and the thick bouquets of hot pink roses and rose petals surrounding her wedding cake, it's a sure bet the rose ranks high on...
Safe Driving on Ski Trips -? Part 1 -? The Basics flowers
Toyo tires > The Rose: Christina Aguilera's Favorite Flower?
Toyo tires
This page loaded in 0.05808 seconds.