How to Prepare Your Car for Winter Storms & Avoid Costly Auto Insurance Claims

Avoiding auto accidents is one of the best ways to keep your car insurance prices low.

December brings wild winter weather, so ‘tis the season to protect your ride and your finances by following these winter auto insurance tips.

Today, the team of auto insurance experts at Einsurance.com is ready to guide you through the process of “winterizing” your car and preparing for rough weather. We’ll also explore ways to protect yourself and your money by making the best choices in auto insurance coverage.

If you plan on traveling long distances in your car during the holidays and early new year, it is time to prepare.

Read on to discover:

How to winterize your vehicle
Winter auto insurance tips
How winter weather affects car insurance
Snowstorm driving safety tips
The best auto insurance coverage for winter weather

Let’s begin by looking at how to prepare your vehicle for bad weather.

How to Winterize Your Vehicle

We are insurance experts, not mechanics, so we turned to Kelley Blue Book for great tips on winterizing a vehicle.

If you are not mechanically inclined, we recommend that you take your ride to your favorite mechanic, who can help you get these tasks done.

Inspect & Replace Your Tires

If you live in an area prone to heavy snow and ice, this is likely the most important point of your winter preparation. After all, your tires are the only part of the car that touches the road.

In good weather conditions, you can use the “penny test” to see if you have enough tread on your tires. Just stick a penny into the treads (with Lincoln’s head facing you and pointing down). If you can see Lincoln’s entire head, you need new tires.

If part of his head is covered by rubber, your tires are still safe for normal driving conditions. Do this in several tread spots on all four tires.

If you are a visual learner, check out this Pep Boys tutorial on the penny test.

Now, not every US state expects severe snow. If you live in an area with milder weather, you should still check your tires for weather-checking and sun damage. And don’t forget that tires have an expiration date! Every tire has a manufacturing date on it. If your tires are more than five years old, it is smart to replace them before traveling to visit family for the holidays.

Check Tire Pressure, Even on New Tires

You can view your owner’s manual or search online to find the ideal tire pressure for your car and tire. Be sure to check tire pressure when the tires are cold.

Have Your Battery Tested & Replace if Needed

If you don’t want to find yourself stranded at the mall after a long day of holiday shopping, have your mechanic test your battery.

Also, it’s a good idea to pack jumper cables around in your trunk and learn how to use them.

Get Your Oil Changed & Top Off Fluids

This is an ideal time to get an oil change and have your mechanic top off any fluids. You might need more coolant, transmission fluid, etc.

Check Your Wiper Blades & Replace if Needed

If you’ve ever found yourself driving in a bad storm with failing wiper blades, you already know how important this step is for safe driving. New wiper blades are relatively inexpensive, but they make a huge difference in your driving experience, and they will ensure you can see the road while driving in bad weather.

Advice for New Car Owners & Lessees

If you drive a newer vehicle that is still under warranty, lease your vehicle, or pay for a service package in your car sales contract, this is a great time to have any faults fixed and routine service completed.

Many people are busy with holiday planning right now, so they delay this maintenance. For a consumer, this could mean an empty service department and faster service.

Now that we’ve explored winterization, let’s talk about winter auto insurance tips.

Winter Auto Insurance Tips

If you own your car outright and only buy the minimum auto insurance required by your state, this is a good time to consider a full coverage policy.

Consider Buying a Full Coverage Policy if You Don’t Have One

Full coverage auto insurance provides liability coverage, plus collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. Many insurers offer more items that can be helpful in bad weather, like rental car coverage after a wreck and roadside assistance. This is an excellent time of year for full coverage!

Collision coverage pays to repair damage to your car from a crash (up to policy limits, and after a deductible). This can be any kind of crash, whether you slide on the ice and rear-end another vehicle, or spin out of control and destroy a mailbox. Collision insurance will help get your car back on the road.

Liability coverage will pay for the damage you’ve done to that other vehicle or mailbox.

Comprehensive coverage pays for other damages that could happen to your car.

For instance, if a severe ice storm causes a tree to fall on your car while it’s parked in the driveway, this would be covered. And if your vehicle is stolen while you’re enjoying the annual company holiday party, comprehensive coverage will help pay for the vehicle.

Next, let’s explore how winter weather affects car insurance.

How Winter Weather Affects Car Insurance

Winter weather leads to serious auto accidents; no surprise there.

Rain and snow affect our ability to see, and icy roads cause 130,000 to 180,000 auto accidents every year in the US, according to the Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHSA).

But the holiday season brings other risks to drivers, like:

Drunk drivers, “buzzed” drivers, and everyone who had too much egg nogg
Distracted drivers, busy communicating with family or reading Christmas lists while driving
Stress and holiday exhaustion, which can lead to sleepiness, road rage or poor decisions on the road

All these factors increase the likelihood that a winter driver will be in an auto accident.

When someone is involved in an auto accident, there is a good chance their insurance premium will increase. Even a “no fault” accident, in states which consider them, can eventually cause consumer insurance rates to increase for everyone in that risk rating group.

Think of it this way, the more an insurer must pay for accident claims this winter, the more they will charge similar customers for insurance in the future. Be sure to winterize your vehicle thoughtfully and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Eventually, you may find yourself on the road during poor weather this winter. So, let’s explore some helpful safety tips for driving in a snowstorm.

Snowstorm Driving Safety Tips

Assuming you’ve winterized your car, followed our winter auto insurance above and insured it well, sometimes it is smart to stay safe at home during terrible weather.

If you must drive in a snowstorm, follow these tips.

Reduce Your Speed

Snowstorms reduce visibility and make roads slippery. Slow down while driving and start braking sooner before a stop. Pay attention to the hazard speed signs (they’re yellow and diamond-shaped) around curves; they will help you pick a reasonable speed limit.

Stop Sooner & Learn to Pump the Brakes

This skill takes practice, so try it in the neighborhood if you are an inexperienced snowstorm driver before you head out of town.

Start planning to stop your car earlier when approaching a stop sign and pump the brakes.

Buckle Up, Buttercup!

Wear your safety belt, and be sure children are secured in car seats correctly. 49 states, Washington DC, and US territories require everyone to wear a seatbelt when a car is in motion.

The only exception is New Hampshire, which allows adults to ride or drive without a seatbelt, but still requires all children under 18 to buckle up.

Keep Your Headlights on in Blizzard Conditions

Some drivers feel tempted to turn off their headlights during a snowstorm, because the snow reduces visibility and seems to glow in the glare of headlights.

Never turn off your headlights in a blizzard. It will not improve your visibility, and other drivers will have a more difficult time seeing your car and preparing for a stop if needed.

Try Putting Some Junk in Your Trunk

Giggles aside, know that some drivers firmly believe that extra weight in the trunk of a car, or the bed of a truck, helps keep the rear-end from fishtailing out on slippery roads or deep snow.

Furthermore, a 40-lb bag of kitty litter, gravel, or road salt might come in handy if you get stuck on a slippery roadside. You can pour it around your tires to provide some grip on icy, slushy ground.

Fun Fact: The statistical data that supports or disproves this habit varies wildly. Some sources claim one should always add weight to a trunk in a snowstorm. Some sources claim weight makes no difference. Other sources claim that weight only helps in all-wheel-drive vehicles, front wheel drive cars, or only long-bed pickup trucks.

Try it for yourself and see if it improves your snow driving experience, but do so in a snowy parking lot, before you hit the highways.

Prepare to Spend Many Extra Hours in a Cold Car

If you are traveling during a snowstorm, make sure you bring some water bottles, snacks, and an extra blanket. Dress warmly, and bring a few extra layers of clothing, especially if you are traveling alone. Pack an emergency kit with a flashlight or flares if you are traveling on lonely roads in bad weather.

If someone in your group is living with a medical condition that requires medication throughout the trip, be sure to pack extra.

Remember that Bridges and Valleys Get Icey, First

Even if your highway is well-salted and clear, other parts of the road may be slippery.

Pay extra attention at:

Bridges
Highway exits
On-ramps
And valleys between hills where water collects

If you follow all those tips, your snowstorm driving experience will be safer. Still, accidents can happen at any time. So, let’s think about the best auto insurance coverage for winter weather.

The Best Auto Insurance Coverage for Winter Weather

Your choice of the best auto insurance coverage for winter weather will be a personal one. If you drive a more expensive vehicle, make a car payment, or only have access to one car, a full coverage policy is the best choice.

If your family relies on one driver for shopping, commuting, caring for family, and more, we also believe full coverage insurance will be the best coverage.

Roadside aid is a helpful addition for many consumers this time of year, so double check that you have it. Rental car coverage can be helpful too, because it ensures your family will not be without a vehicle after a wreck while your vehicle is repaired.

Remember that a liability policy is the basic minimum of coverage; it only helps pay for damage you cause to others. If you have an inexpensive “winter beater” vehicle, and access to several other cars if this one gets totaled, this level of insurance is appropriate.

Winter Auto Insurance Tips: Our Final Thoughts

Snowstorms and blizzards create dangerous driving conditions, and we hope our readers will travel as safely as possible this holiday season.

If you are shopping for better coverage at a better price, try our online quoting tool at Einsurance.com. We aim to match insurers with consumers. Even if you are a young driver, a senior driver, or someone with a heavy history of auto insurance claims, we can help.

Just enter your zip code and information, and we will have auto insurance companies competing for your business by the end of the day.