BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – This weekend brings the kind of weather that makes you want to hunker down, but if you have to hit the road, there are some precautions you should take today to get out the door tomorrow.
We asked some local Vermonters if they plan to drive this weekend.
“No. My granddaughter wants to go snowmobiling, but I don’t think we will,” said Jack Bapp of Enosburg Falls.
“We had plans to go skiing, and after looking at the weather, I don’t think we’ll be doing that,” said Shannon Murtha of Colchester.
“I’ll be going back and forth to work…I looked at the weather this morning, and it looks like it could be potentially terribly cold and whatnot. I don’t want to stand in the cold pumping gas later,” said James Buck of Essex.
Experts say if you do plan to drive, you should prepare now.
AAA research shows that as temperatures drop, so does your car’s battery power.
At zero degrees, the starting power drops 60%. Older batteries could face more start issues, too.
AAA recommends checking that battery clamps are tight and cleaning corrosion from terminals.
Then, take your car for a spin before the freeze sets in, according to mechanic Ray Kaigle of Kaigle’s Service Center.
“Take a 20-minute ride now before the cold gets here to get your batteries charged up. It’s maybe nothing that you want to spend the gas on, but it could be the difference between the car starting this weekend or not,” said Kaigle.
AAA also recommends keeping your tank at least half full.
Plus, make sure tire pressure is up to snuff, since pressure drops with temperature.
Finally, let your car warm up before driving.
Don’t forget to bring along a winter emergency kit with first aid, jumper cables, a flashlight, a shovel, a blanket, an ice scraper, and kitty litter for traction.
Reporter Sophia Thomas: 40% of American drivers don’t have a winter emergency kit in their car. Do you have one?
Shannon Murtha: Yes, I believe I do, and a pretty hefty first aid kit.
With dangerous temperatures, the bottom line is safety whether you’re gearing up to head outside or hunkering down inside.
