Wheel logo

10 Tools That Will Help You Drive Safer in Snow

If you live in an area susceptible to bad weather, make sure you have some of these tools that will help you drive safer in snow before you need them.

By Tony Anthony GregPublished 5 years ago 6 min read
Like

A moment of radical truthfulness here—I am not a very good driver. Like, side-swipe-your-side-mirror-with-my-side-mirror-type bad. But don't worry, I always leave a note.

For someone like me, who isn't necessarily the Mario Andretti of my local roads, winter time can be a little intimidating. Between the icy roads, bad weather, and overall icy conditions, winter driving is seriously no joke. That's why I do everything in my power to nip any potential problems at the bud.

I come prepared.

There are plenty of items I use to ensure that I can drive safely in even the most treacherous of conditions. I decided to compile a list of some of the things that helped me and my own poor driving skills when the weather gets a little too wicked to help other people who face the same problems. If you live in a colder area, you too should try to get a good working knowledge of some of these items.

So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the best tools that will help you drive safer in snow. They certainly helped me.

We all know the struggle of a snow day. The first issue is even getting out of your driveway—clearly an integral part of driving anywhere. Considering I also have a dog that loves to play in the snow, I wanted to make sure I could find an ice melt that would be pet-friendly. Lo and behold, I managed to find a product that was perfect for me—Safe Paw Non-Toxic Ice Melter. For essentially the same price as some generic cat litter, I was able to get my hands on an ice melter that not only helps me stay safe, but helps me worry less about the safety of my pets as well. Definitely a must-buy to avoid unnecessary slippage.

Nothing is worse than slipping before you even get to your car. Or worse yet, having to change a tire or check your engine when there is an influx of ice on the ground. These traction "ice cleats" from the brand STABILicers helps ensure you won't slip upon leaving your door or your car after you've ventured out into the world. The multi-directional weatherproof shoes help you maintain your natural strides when walking through the treacherous ice, as opposed to waddling around like a fat, little penguin. They're also not intrusive while driving, making them perfect for going out on a food run during a bad storm. No judgement here, we all get the munchies sometimes.

If you're like me, you're someone that likes to keep their windshield spotless. Any little mark or intrusive object makes me freak out. Call it OCD or whatever else you'd like, but I just can't stand looking at any particles in my windshield. Obviously, in the winter, this problem increases exponentially. My old, crappy windshield wiper blades can only do so much, so again, I have to prevent the inclement weather from affecting my windshield beforehand. With this windshield snow cover from OxGord, I'm able to protect my windshield from the snow and ice, alleviating the need to constantly have my wipers going. My wiper fluid oftentimes freezes up anyway, so this is a huge help.

While I do love my Honda Civic, it doesn't come with snow tires, making it a challenge to get up my hill in the winter weather. While I prefer maintaining the smaller, sleeker tires on my Civic, I still need something that makes me feel safe. So I opted for this radial cable traction tire chain set from Security Chain, a leading company for tire and automobile safety. I kid you not—putting these things on my tires instantly increased my tire's traction and tread. It almost felt like I put a pair of heavy duty truck tires on my little Civic. If you don't have one of the best snow tires to get you through the winter, then this is a great alternative. It certainly helps my driving phobia, that's for sure.

No-slip is the name of the game when it comes to cold weather, snow, and ice. While this is more than apparent from the outside of the car, the inside also requires a great deal of precaution. One item I decided to purchase were secure, no-slip floor mats from BDK. The interlock technology gave my feet some much-needed traction, making both my passengers and myself as safe as possible.

This particular tool is probably the oldest, and arguably most effective, inclement weather fighting tool out there—the good old fashioned two-in-one ice scraper/brush. Of all the ice scrapers I've used, this particular iteration, courtesy of Mallory USA, is perhaps the best one I've had to date. Its curved handle, comfort foam grip, and incredibly durable scraper blade makes it a high quality purchase for this winter, and many winters to come.

One of the worst things to happen during a snow storm, arguably, is having your car's battery go dead. Obviously, during bad weather, your battery is more susceptible to going dead, and it's pretty safe to say a dead battery is not something you want to deal with in frigid temperatures. While it's difficult to prevent this from happening (other than making sure your lights are off after each use of your vehicle), ensuring that you have your own set of booster cables will at least give you an option to fix them. Of course, you're going to need someone else's battery to jump yours, so there is also that. However, I didn't want to put "other human being" on this list, so just make sure you're not out when the roads are SUPER bad and no one else is out to assist you in the event of emergency.

If there's anything worse than a dead battery in a snow storm, it is, arguably, a flat tire in a snow storm. While I'm not necessarily the handiest of men, this kit makes it super easy to figure out how to change a tire—even in the worst of conditions. The set comes with the car tire itself, a steel wheel, a car jack, lug wrench, tire pressure label, bar tool, and a hard foam tool organizer to keep your kit tidy. Definitely a must-have if you're traveling in inclement weather, particularly, far distances.

If there is anything that DOES make me feel like a handy man, however, it's this Headlamp Flashlight from Foxelli. When you're facing the icy conditions of the winter and you have to change a tire, fix a headlight, etc., you're better off using this bad boy than an actual flashlight. This way, in the event of a slip, you'll have both your hands to help brace your fall.

Last but not least, we have this portable air compressor pump—complete with an auto digital tire inflator and digital display pressure gauge. This particular device is super easy to use, and inflates a car tire better than any other previous personal pump I've ever had. The built-in gauge is also very convenient, and easier to read than classic, non-digital pressure gauges.

In my youth, snow was my favorite thing ever, but once you're in the real world, it's just a humongous inconvenience. Having one of these ten tools that will help you drive safer in snow certainly lessens that burden.

Regardless of how you feel about the snow, it's important to stay safe, fellow drivers! For additional precautions, you might want to refer to some of tips for driving in snow this winter. Better safe than sorry, after all!

list
Like

About the Creator

Tony Anthony Greg

I’m a pretty cool dude who loves to write about anything and everything—mostly the nerdy stuff (but I swear I’m not a nerd).

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.