Tips on buying new and used cars contact | privacy | partner sites | free website content
Home » Auto safety

Auto articles

» Buying a car

» Selling a car

» Auto maintenance

» Auto insurance

» Auto safety tips

» Misc. auto tips


Car games

» Rural Racer
» Park a lot 2
» Formula Fog

Young drivers need winter practice

(NC)—One of the more nerve-wrecking experiences of parenthood occurs when your teenager first earns his or her license to drive. While many parts of Canada have ensured that new drivers be accompanied with a more experienced driver in the vehicle, it's important that parents take some time to share safety tips with their teenagers.

Learning to drive is challenging enough. When you throw snow, ice and slush into the driving mix, it can catch new drivers off guard. Therefore, passing along winter driving wisdom to your teens is especially crucial.

"Since you probably own the car your teenager is driving, you should ensure that it is prepared for winter-weather," says Tony Mougios, Michelin Brand Manager in Canada. "Part of that preparation involves installing four winter tires on the vehicle. Winter tires will enhance the safety and performance of your vehicle and allow whoever is driving to maintain greater control in winter conditions."

For those parents whose teens are about to take to the road for the first time this winter, Michelin offers these tips for teaching young drivers to prepare for and cope with winter's challenges.

  • Winter weather puts your vehicle's mechanical systems and performance to the ultimate test, and demands that your vehicle is in excellent condition. Make sure that your tires and all mechanical systems, including your brakes, are in top working order.
  • Take your new driver to a vacant, snow or ice covered parking lot where you can safely practice slow-speed manoeuvres.
  • A novice driver's first on-the-road experience with winter-weather driving should not be during a major blizzard. Ensure he/she waits until conditions are less severe.
  • If possible, have your teenager practice driving on slippery roads in daylight only. Exposure to slippery roads at night should be limited until beginners have gained more experience driving in various types of winter weather.
  • Maintain a safe driving distance from the vehicle in front of you.
  • Make sure the speed limit is observed and respected.
  • Transform the trunk of your vehicle into a winter survival kit by filling it with essential emergency equipment including a flashlight, blankets, jumper cables, sand and a small shovel or ice scraper.

About the author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.


Latest auto articles

» Safety rules to consider when doing car maintenance yourself
Working on a car involves several risks which you should be aware of and prevent before actually starting the job.

» What to do when a cold engine is hard to start
Starting a car with a cold engine can be very difficult sometimes and it can become a real obstacle for those who live surrounded by extremely cold weathers.

» What to do when a hot engine is hard to start
Although usually engines exposed to cold weather is the most known problem related to car starting difficulties, hot engines might bring obstacles as well.

» Should a new set of tires be balanced
Many times people who buy a new set of tires wonder if they should have them balanced or not.

» Tips on which type of motor oil to choose
The first thing you should always have in mind at the time of choosing a motor oil is to choose one which respects the indications from your car owner's manual.

» What to do when the car is pulling to one side
If your car is pulling to one side it might be very uncomfortable to drive as well as you might not know what to do about it.

» Learn what the EGR valve is
As a general definition we can tell that the EGR valve is part of the exhaust emission control system of the car.

» What to do with a loose steering
A loose steering is not only uncomfortable for the driver but also is a risk to his safety as well as to the safety of all the other vehicles around him.

» How often to replace spark plugs in the engine
Spark plugs have a central role in the car functioning since your car depends on them for starting and running.

» What is the MAP all about?
MAP stands for Motorist Assurance Program and is a consumer oriented program created by the AMRA or Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association.

» How to change a tire without help
Learning how to change a tire can be one of the most useful things you could learn regarding your car.

» Why and how to check the antifreeze or coolant level
When extreme temperatures are near, it is very important to make sure that the cars antifreeze or coolant level is correct.

» What are leak down tests for?
A leak down test is a kind of compression test which allows measuring the ability of the cylinder to hold compression.

» Tips for replacing the clutch yourself
If you wonder if you can replace the clutch yourself, you should first consider how much knowledge you have regarding how to do it and the car pieces involved.

» Learn how to change the oil filter
Before you start following the procedure for changing your car's oil filter you should make sure you count with the elements necessary for it.

» Why does a car engine overheat?
There are many different reasons that can cause an engine overheat, but they all have in common three aspects.

» What does the PCV valve do?
The PCV valve is a control device which sends partially burned gases that come from the engine's crankcase to the combustion chamber.

» What is the choke exactly?
Although we might have an idea of what the choke is, often we don't really know how it really functions or what its exact purpose is.

» What to do when your car brakes are squealing
Brake squealing is a very common problem which might not only affect your car but it might also end up giving you headaches each time you drive.

» Learn how to choose the right fuel treatments for your car
Choosing the right fuel treatments might be the difference between your car mechanism's receiving bad deposits or not as well as it could reduce the engine's wear or increase it in case it was wrongly chosen.

» Some tips regarding how to change your car's battery
Keeping your car's battery in well shape and making sure it functions properly is very important for the overall functioning of your car.

» Some guidance on how to change your wiper blades
Although it might not be one of the car parts you might have to change very often, wiper blades can become a problem at the time of doing so.

» Learn how to properly check tire pressure
Tire pressure is one of the things a car needs to have checked most often.