10 Things Florida Drivers should know before the cold snap!

Don’t be caught off guard with the upcoming cold snap and be the next auto accident in Clearwater.

It’s not every year that it gets this cold in Tampa Bay. 37 degrees in February is pretty extreme for Pinellas and Hillsborough County. So with all of this weather we thought it would be a great idea to outline a few tips that will help you not to be the next “Auto Accident in Clearwater” statistic.

1. Make sure your tires are inflated.
   • The colder it gets the LESS inflated your tires will be. Check them BEFORE it gets cold and make sure they are inflated all the way to the recommended inflation. Underinflated tires give you less traction and make it MUCH more likely for an accident.
2. All-wheel-drive is good, but don’t get cocky.
   • You may think your AWD station wagon can take that next turn at 45mph but you may be wrong on a frigid day. Not only does the tire pressure get affected, but the actual firmness of the tire changes and creates LESS traction.
3. Slow and steady on the brake and gas pedal.
   • Sudden acceleration and deceleration can be dangerous, especially in cold weather. We aren’t used to seeing even a small patch of ice on our roads but come Thursday…. There is a great chance even the over spray from yard sprinklers could cause some icy conditions and for you to have an auto accident in Clearwater.
4. Check the spare tire.
   • Spare tires generally have a MUCH higher pressure in the tire than your normal ones. If you need it in the middle of the cold snap, you better be sure it has the pressure it needs to carry your car.
5. Check the wipers and washer fluid.
   • This may be the one time of year to add just a LITTLE bit of rubbing alcohol to stop your lines from freezing overnight.
6. Check the battery level of the vehicle since cold weather starts require a fully charged battery.
   • The colder it gets the harder your car works to start. Fluids are thicker & electricity moves slower which are great combination to make starting your car on a cold day a No-Go.

7. Make sure the cooling and heating system has enough antifreeze to prevent freezing in cold weather.
   • This is just something we NEVER have to worry about in Florida, and even though Pinellas may not have this problem on Thursday, there is a great chance our northern county neighbors will!
     

8. Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
   • This one should be pretty self-explanatory, but enough people make this fatal mistake every year that it has earned its place on the list.
     

9. Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
   • Cruise control can’t tell the difference between your tires loosing traction and going down a hill. All your car wants to do is keep the speed at a certain level, which can be EXTREMELY dangerous on slippery roads.
     

10. Check the status of your S belt, or serpentine belt.
    • It’s the biggest belt at the very front of the engine, under the hood. The belt will probably have a few grooves to help guide it through all of the pulleys. If you see ANY cracks in it, HAVE IT CHANGED. The colder it gets outside the harder the rubber on the belt will get and the easier it will be to snap while running. If your S-Belt breaks, you will lose power steering and braking at the least.
      

These may be the top ten for us but we know there are definitely an endless amount of tips to keep you safe during this cold snap. Three  more notable tips would be;

• Make sure to drive with extra care driving on bridges & ramps. Bridges and ramps are much thinner than usual roads and therefor will collect ice MUCH quicker than anywhere else. (A BIG thanks to our friend Peggy on Facebook for bringing this up!)
• Check the clarity of all your lights. If your headlights are all fogged up, consider cleaning them with toothpaste. We haven’t tried this yet, but hear the results are magical.
• And lastly if you do have to scrape your windshield on Thursday morning, opt for a plastic ice scraper. It would damage your window and cause for an even more unsafe driving condition leading to the next auto accident in Clearwater.

Even checking all of these can’t protect you from everything. If you or a loved one have been in an accident during this frigid winter, know we are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take your call and help you in your time of need.