Ahhh, winter in the Yukon—it’s an amazing time … snow-capped mountains, beautiful sunrises. It’s the time when we prepare our houses and our yards for the snow and cold weather that is coming. Another very important part of our lives that we need to prepare is our vehicles. We need to make sure our vehicles are in good working order before we venture out onto the winter roads.
The first and most-important thing we can do is to get our winter tires on. Like our winter boots, we need traction or we will be slipping and sliding everywhere. We also want to make sure we have had an oil change, to be sure our engine is running at its best performance, as well as making sure we have enough antifreeze (or we won’t have heat in the car). Take the car into your favourite licensed mechanic to have a winter tune-up done and have everything checked out.
Always have a snow brush to clean your entire vehicle off. Snow blowing off of your vehicle will make it invisible to other motorists.
If you are touring the Yukon or driving to communities, here are a couple of suggestions to make your trip a little safer.
- Always let someone know when and where you are travelling to, and check in when you can.
- Stick to major roads; don’t take the side roads.
- ALWAYS check road conditions before heading out, and monitor the roads constantly and make your plans flexible.
- Carry a winter car kit: you can buy a pre-made kit or build your own. Some suggestions for your kit: a shovel, cat litter or sand (for traction), winter clothing, booster cables, non-perishable high-energy food, blankets.
At the end of the day, we want to reach our destination safely. By driving defensively and having our vehicle prepared, we will have a much greater chance of arriving safely.
Drive safe, everyone.
