Winter brings along heavy snowstorms and makes driving difficult. There are more accidents recorded on snowy and winter days as compared to any other day. Most often people stay at home during a heavy snowstorm, however, in case of emergencies, one has to hit the road to get help. Here are a few important tire safety tips for winter to help avoid accidents.

Get your tire maintenance done regularly
When winter is around the corner, make sure you get your car serviced well. Do not miss the maintenance schedule and speak to your mechanic about additional safety measures to avoid accidents during winters. A poorly maintained car is more volatile and can easily breakdown during winter. Therefore, it is important that you ensure you get all the safety features checked well. If you are expecting a heavy snowfall for the coming winter, go ahead and change the regular tires to winter tires which are specifically designed for heavy snowfall. Change to winter wiper blades and check wiper fluids regularly and ensure that the defroster and heaters are working fine. Shelling out a few extra bucks for maintenance can save you from life-threatening accidents. Get your tires checked thoroughly to avoid any mishap.

Check tire pressure
Having the right tires for winter is very important; snow tires with heavy treads are available for a stronger grip on the slippery terrains. Do check for tire pressure every time you take the car out during winter. Checking the brakes is very important as well. New car models are installed with anti-lock brakes which helps in avoiding a skid. If your car does not have anti-lock brakes, you need to pump them to refrain from skidding.

Skip cruise control
Cruise control is one of the most admired features that is loved by road trippers. It makes driving easy during busy multi-day drives. If you are planning to drive a cruise control car during a heavy snowy day, it might not be a great choice. Cruise control cars are more prone to accidents during winters. Cruise control cars maintain a designated speed limit which gets difficult to handle in the case of a skid which could lead to high-impact damage.

Don’t tailgate
The best way to avoid a car collision is to stay away from the car before you. It is common to notice car collisions during winter. By leaving enough space between your car and the car before you can save you from any collisions. Heavy snowstorms during winters could cause lesser visibility which can cause accidents easily. So, avoiding tailgating is one of the important tire safety tips for winter as it gives you enough time to control your tires.

Be prepared for skids
Experiencing moments when your car could skid is one of the biggest risks while driving during winter. You cannot stop it from happening, but you can handle the skid in a better way. The first rule is “do not panic.” Do not overspeed and drive as slow as possible. Keep your hands steady on the wheels and concentrate on the road. When you feel that your car is skidding, take your legs off the accelerator till you gain back control of the car and steer the wheels in the same direction the car is heading. Stop slamming the brakes and apply brakes gently to escape any untoward incidents.