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AAA’s “Last Minute, Common Sense Tips” For Upcoming Snow

You’ve Got Your Bread; You’ve Got Your Milk – Now What?

snowy highway

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (January 16, 2018) – Lately, snow seems to be the on-going winter theme throughout the Commonwealth. Motorists are repeatedly warned to stay home and off of the treacherous roadways but if you do have to drive – prepare, prepare, prepare. So, now that you have your AAA recommended winter weather driving kit (blanket, ice scraper, flares or reflective triangles, flashlight with extra batteries, jumper cables, bag of abrasive material such as cat litter, shovel, cloth or paper towels, and cell phone with a full charge), are you truly prepared?

“There are a few common sense tips that we frequently see motorists forget, such as leaving a can of deicer spray in their cars where it does them no good,” said Georjeane Blumling, Vice President of Public Affairs for AAA Tidewater Virginia. “Remembering to do a few last-minute, simple tips will make the lives of motorists a lot easier for this next snowstorm.”

AAA Tidewater’s top last minute, common sense tips:

  • Dress as if you were going to be stranded. – It can get very cold in a car on the side of the road waiting for help. Be sure to have extra blankets and to insist that children who may be traveling with you do the same.   
  • Open the garage door before starting the car to prevent carbon monoxide build up. - It is easy to lose track of time and carbon monoxide is almost impossible to detect and can be fatal when breathed in a confined area.
  • Bring your vehicle clearing supplies, such as your ice scraper, snow shovels, and deicer spray, inside. The very best prepared motorists will be frustrated to wake up and find all of their supplies frozen inside the car.
  • Check your antifreeze to ensure it will withstand the winter cold, using a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water to protect against freezing.
  • When parking your vehicle before the snow falls always back into the parking spot to make exiting easier.
  • Lift windshield wipers off of the glass before the snow falls to make clearing the windows easier later.
  • Never pour hot water on door locks or windows to deice them, as they may crack.  Frozen door locks can be overcome by carefully heating the end of a key with a match or lighter. A squirt of deicer spray is another quick method.

As part of North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA Tidewater Virginia provides its more than 330,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding AAA Tidewater Virginia has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. For more information, visit AAA.com and follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/AAATidewaterVA or Facebook at facebook.com/AAATidewaterVirginia.

CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Tidewater Automobile Association of Virginia, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
AAA Tidewater Virginia is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the Tidewater Virginia region (All Hampton Roads cities, including Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg; Virginia's Eastern Shore; as well as the following counties: Greensville, Surry, Brunswick, Isle of Wight, Gloucester, Lancaster, Middlesex, Richmond County, Southampton, Sussex, Mecklenburg, James City County, York, Lunenburg, Essex, King & Queen, Mathews, Northumberland, and Westmoreland).