3 Ways to Prep Your Car for Fall Weather Conditions

Try out these suggestions this Fall Car Care Month.

October is Fall Car Care Month and, as the name suggests, the main goal of this month is preparing your car for the fall weather conditions to come. In honor of this month, here are some car maintenance tasks to do before driving conditions become precarious:

Update Your Emergency Car Kit

As a responsible driver, you probably already have an emergency car kit in your vehicle. However, it’s important to update this kit every season. When preparing your emergency kit for fall, make sure to change out your food and water rations. Additionally, you’ll want to include other items like a warm change of clothes, blankets, umbrellas, and even a raincoat. This way you are better prepared in the event that your car breaks down in wet, cold fall conditions.

Inspect Tires

During fall, fallen leaves and wet weather can make for slippery driving conditions. The best way to ensure that your car can safely maneuver on slick roadways is by inspecting your tires. First, examine your tires’ tread to ensure that it is not too worn down. If the tread is too deteriorated, your tires cannot adequately grip the roadway, making you more prone to skidding. Even if your tires are in good condition, check to ensure that your tire pressure is at a safe level. Under-inflated tires will also make your car more likely to skid.

Repair Cosmetic Issues

While a small nick in your windshield or a scratch in your car’s paint may not seem like a big deal now, they have the potential to become serious problems after being exposed to more extreme weather conditions. For instance, cold temperatures can make the glass in your windshield more brittle, meaning that a small nick can easily expand until your whole windshield is compromised. Similarly, exposure to cold and wet conditions can cause the paint to chip away at a scratch, leaving the actual metal of your car vulnerable to rusting and other damage.

Get your car ready for fall driving conditions by taking these steps. Looking for another way to keep your car safe this Fall Car Care Month? If so, make sure you have the right auto insurance in place. For assistance with your car coverage needs, contact the team at Westwood Insurance Agency to get started today.