According to Statistics Canada, 15.4 million Canadians use their cars for their daily commute to work. It’s not surprising that a great many of us are on the lookout for the proper technique to clear the snow from our cars during the cold season. Here are some tips to help you fight this necessary evil and get you safely behind the wheel.
Avoid the mobile igloo
Forewarned is forearmed. In most regions in Canada, it’s against the law to drive a car that hasn’t been properly cleared of snow. In fact, failing to do so before hitting the road puts other motorists in jeopardy. The following tips and techniques to clear the snow from your car will help you spend a worry-free winter.
First things first: choose the right snow brush
The most important item in your snow removal kit is, without a doubt, the snow brush. Among the most popular models is the bristle brush. However, a polyethylene foam broom might be a better option for your car. In fact, the coarse — and often frozen — bristles of a traditional brush can scratch the paint on your vehicle. In addition, it's important to clean your brush often, since any salt residue can also damage the finish.
Five steps to clearing your car
Here is a fool-proof technique to clear the snow from your car. Follow these steps, and you’ll quickly be on your way.
- Clean off the roof — all of it. This is critical, since the powder snow on the roof of your vehicle could blow into the path of other motorists. Chunks of snow from the roof could also slide down your own windshield and blind you.
- Scrape the ice off the windows. Using an ice scraper, remove as much ice as possible from all of your windows. Never use hot water, or your windows could shatter. Next, clean off your windshield wipers, as they won’t clean the windshield effectively if they’re ice covered. Note that turning them on while they’re frozen to your windshield could damage their motor.
- Clear the snow from the hood and the rear of the vehicle. In addition to compromising your visibility, wet snow is very heavy and can increase your fuel consumption.
- Remove the snow and ice from the headlights. Not only do you have to be able to see, you also have to be seen.
- Clear the wheel wells. This step is often overlooked but is nevertheless entirely necessary. Excess snow and ice trapped in the wheel wells can lead to friction, which quickly wears out the tires. Furthermore, friction combined with the cold of winter could eventually cause the tire to burst, which is not something you want to happen when you’re on the road.
As we all know, Canadian winters aren’t always pleasant, especially for motorists. Using the proper technique to clear snow from your car will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you’re not endangering your life or anybody else’s when you’re on the road.
