SPRING DRIVING SAFETY TIPS

HOW TO GET YOUR CAR READY FOR SPRING

Spring is on its way. Soon, flowers will be blooming, birds will be singing, and drivers will want to drive longer distances to enjoy the warm weather and sunny skies. That means it’s time to get your car ready for safe spring driving with these helpful tips.

WASH YOUR WHEELS…AND YOUR CAR, TOO.

Winter’s brine solutions, salt, sand, grit, and grime get all over your car’s body, headlights, brakes, and engine—causing small cracks where corrosion can accelerate. So, once warmer weather arrives, give your car a thorough wash, paying special attention to the undercarriage where salt and damage are hard to see.

INSPECT YOUR CAR’S:

• Windshield wipers—ice, salt, and snow removal can damage your windshield wipers. You don’t want to get caught in spring showers with a streaky windshield you can barely see out of.
• Headlights—salt and grit can scratch the glass and dim your car’s lights.
• Engine and other parts under the hood—check the belts for wear and weather fatigue.
• Fluids—switch from windshield de-icer to regular wiper fluid; top off your engine’s coolant so your engine stays cool in the heat; make sure your brake fluid is clean; check your vehicle’s maintenance schedule to see if it’s time to change your transmission fluid.
• Brakes—the same grit and grime that eats away at your car’s body can get inside your brake rotors and drums and cause damage.
• Battery—if your battery made it through a tough winter, great! Get your car ready for spring by having your battery tested to make sure it can stand up to summer’s heat—which is actually harder on car batteries than winter’s freezing temperatures.
• Steering and suspension—winter potholes can play havoc with your steering and suspension so you’ll want to get them checked before your first spring road trip.
• Tires—spring and summer showers bring slippery roads and more crashes than snow due to slick conditions. Tire pressure can increase along with spring temperatures so you may need to adjust the air so the tires can grip the road properly.

Now that you’ve run through your car’s spring driving safety tips, it’s time to start thinking about your next road trip. We can help with that, too. Use our free TripTik Planner tool to map the route to…somewhere wonderful.

For more information and inspiration to help you live an empowered life on the open road and beyond, visit The Extra Mile.

The content of this article is for informational purposes only. AAA does not guarantee any particular outcome.