Winter Car Care & Driving Safety Tips

Getting around this Pittsburgh winter.

To our friends and neighbors in Cranberry and the other surrounding Pittsburgh neighborhoods, to say winter is upon us would be an understatement!  Temperatures blanketing the entire region are already in the teens! And, if you want to get technical here, it’s not officially winter yet!

With freezing temperatures, any precipitation we receive comes in the form of snow or ice. Even the slightest bit of standing water on the roads can create icy conditions. But drivers need not panic! This week, Three Rivers Auto Glass, the auto glass and windshield experts in Cranberry, are spreading cheer by giving out their winter car care and driving safety tips just in time for the holiday stretch!

1.     Track traffic and weather. With access to 24-hour cable weather channels, local stations beginning their live broadcasts as early as 4:00 am and minute-by-minute traffic alert settings on your phone, make it a point to stay up-to-date on weather and traffic before you head out to work or send the kids off to school. If conditions are dangerous, avoid treacherous roadways and heed the advice of the traffic and weather reporters.Winter Car Care Pittsburgh

2.    The Basics: Gas, phone, water, and warmth. You’ve heard it before, “Snowstorm strands thousands of drivers on PA turnpike for hours.” No matter where you are headed this winter season, it’s best to always keep your gas tank filled, your cell-phone charged, some bottled water on hand, and a blanket or other warm clothing items in your car for the extreme case you are stranded by a quick moving winter storm.

3.    Remove snow and ice before you drive. Many drivers park outside during the winter. Be sure to always remove snow and ice from your car before you hit the road. Windshields, rear windows, other window panes, and the side-view mirrors should all be free and clear to ensure a clear view of traffic.

4.    Maintain a safe distance. You should always keep a safe distance between the vehicle in front of you. They may break too quickly or hit ice, which could cause an accident. Not to mention, they may not have cleared all the snow and ice off of their car, creating a chance for chunks of snow and ice to slide off and hit your vehicle.

5.    Care for and replace windshield wipers and fluid. If your wipers aren’t doing their job as they used too, replace them. Consider wiping them with full-strength rubbing alcohol which stops them from sticking to the glass. Always check your wiper fluid and keep it at a full level so you can easily wipe away the dirt and grime from your windshield.

6.    Warm up the car, then turn on the defroster. A common mistake made by many drivers is turning on their car and defroster on simultaneously. This delays the defrost time as the cold air makes its more difficult to melt ice and snow. Heat up your car for a few minutes, before turning on the defroster, for maximum defrosting and ice removal.

7.    Keep air control setting on “outside air”. Recirculating moisture-laden air will make your windows fog up. Reduce moist inside air by keeping wet items like gloves and boots in the trunk of the car.

And last, but NOT least!

8.    Tend to chips and cracks before they spread! Windshields with existing cracks and chips should be repaired ASAP. Not only can water get into the cracks and freeze, but the cold weather outside, paired with the inside warm air will also cause the glass to expand and contract making your windshield cracks susceptible to spreading. This puts you, your passengers and other drivers in danger!

Follow Three Rivers Auto Glass’s tips and contact the auto glass and windshield experts in Cranberry for all of your auto glass and windshield repairs. Call our Cranberry location at (724) 772-4722 or visit https://www.threeriversautoglass.comfor one of our six convenient locations located in and around Pittsburgh!

Denny Toth
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