Imagine this… You’re driving home from a relative or a friend’s house one winter evening. When you left home it was a clear, bright sunny day – but an unexpected snowstorm has quickly moved through the area and you’re trying to get home quickly and safely. The road you’re driving on could be a major highway or a country back road, but either way, it’s deserted and you see very few vehicles.
Winter is starting to hit throughout the country – make sure you’re prepared for winter driving. Here are some useful tips… Copyright © 2016 by Iain Shankland. All rights reserved.
Did You Know Two Out Of Three Toronto Residents Experience Memory Loss During The First Snow Fall? Every Year! <hr /> Copyright © 2016 by Iain Shankland. All rights reserved.
Winter Tires Vs. All-seasons Tires – The Facts By Iain Shankland Has winter arrived in your part of the world yet? In my area we usually get our first big snowstorm on or around the 15th of November, but so far this year we’re still having well-above freezing temperatures with no snow in sight! The inevitable is going to happened sooner or later, but my usual concern when the snow starts to fly is: when do I change from my summer tires to my winter tires?
With temperatures already dipping to the freezing point and some areas of the country already experiencing snow – have you switched over to your winter tires yet? Remember – there’s no such thing as a good “all-season” tire – just a no-season tire. All seasons tires become suspect when temperatures dip below 7°C – that’s the point where winter tires start to come good.
Fuel Economy in Cold Weather Cold weather and winter driving conditions can reduce your fuel economy significantly. Fuel economy tests show that, in short-trip city driving, a conventional gasoline car’s gas mileage is about 12% lower at -7°C (20°F) than it would be at 25°C (77°F). It can drop as much as 22% for very short trips (5-8 kms / 3-4 miles). The effect on hybrids is worse. Their fuel economy can drop about 31% to 34% under these conditions. Why is winter fuel economy lower? Cold weather affects your vehicle in more ways than you might expect:
If you’ve ever done a search on-line for tires or looked in any of the large auto magazines you’ve no doubt seen advertisements by a company called The Tire Rack. They have a huge selection of tires and rims for just about every make and model of vehicle sold in North America. Is it worth it for Canadians to purchase tires or rims from the U.S. or is it just more convenient and cost-effective to keep your hard-earned dollars in Canada? What kind of hassles and costs are you going to have to deal with if you end up buying from the Tire Rack? Funny you should ask…once again I took a financial hit to tell you, the reader what you might encounter. I decided to use my wife’s hard-earned dollars to purchase a set of winter tires for her car and once again I did it incognito – I didn’t tell the site (Tire Rack) or the place that installed my tires, who I was and what I was up to until after the …
To many, the first snowfall of the season brings panic and fear. Every year the exact same thing happens – winter arrives and with it snow. Along with the snow and ice, emerge the world’s worst drivers. I’m sure you probably have your own stories about driving at the beginning or winter, and you probably think the drivers in your neighbourhood are the worst. I however, think that my neighbourhood takes the prize for this … One snowy day a couple of years ago, the first snow came and people lost their minds like they usually do. The streets of Toronto turned into a living nightmare with reports of more than 400 accidents in just ONE DAY! Not only is this a staggering thought, it’s downright scary! Like a newborn deer on wobbly legs, drivers encountering the first annual snowfall slip and slide into ditches and each other, filling the streets with terror. Even those that live in the Snow Belt drive like they’ve never before experienced this slippery white phenomenon.
One morning in early November, I had the privilege to benefit from a one-on-one skid school lesson from Skid Control School (SCS) owner/instructor Doug Annett in Oakville, Ontario. Doug’s Skid Control School has been around since 1967 and is one of the premier skid schools in Ontario. Too many times you see drivers just sitting in the car driving with that glazed look in their eyes, obviously a passenger behind the wheel instead of someone actually driving the vehicle! All of us need to be continually advancing ourselves and our driving skills. Because the school is booked solid, Doug offered me this unique opportunity for my readers, so I received an 8-hour lesson condensed to approximately 3 hours.
Imagine this… You’re driving home from a relative’s or a friend’s house one winter evening. When you left home it was a clear, bright sunny day – but an unexpected snowstorm has quickly moved through the area and you’re trying to get home quickly and safely. The road you’re driving on could be a major highway or a country back road, but either way, it’s deserted and you see very few vehicles. Rounding a bend you start to slide off the road, and before you can do anything about it you’re well and truly stuck in the snow. You may be right beside the road, so someone passing by will see you (and hopefully won’t slide right into your car), or you may be off the road just far enough that a passing motorist wouldn’t see your vehicle as they passed by. (I came upon one motorist a couple of years ago that went into the centre median ditch and the only visible signs of his car were the taillights.) You know you have to …
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