By Bob Williams

Dec. 30 (World Wide News) – What better way to put your mind at ease, as you prepare to drive to the slopes, then to carefully check you car.

A quick review of the basics of winter car safety can help you respond faster and more appropriately in an emergency. Even better, a quick and correct response can help prevent the emergency from ever happening.

Before venturing out in poor weather, it pays to check you car first. Do what you can do to help make driving conditions as safe as possible. Here, then, are 12 useful tips for care of your car before you go skiing:

1. Keep windows clean inside and out. Many of us stop in at the local service station and it’s an easy task to clean the windshield on the outside. On the inside, though, dust and dirt build up. This coating on the inside of windows, particularly the windshield, increases glare. Don’t forget the mirrors, too.

2. While you’re at it, clean you headlights. This will improve not only your view of the road but will increase your visibility to other motorists.

3. If your windshield is getting streaky or the wipers are skipping places on the windshield, it may be time for new wiper blades. First, check for bits of leaves or pine needles under the windshield wipe. If there’s nothing visibly stuck, the streaks might simply be from worn out wiper blades. Replacing them is a relatively inexpensive maintenance move.

4. Check your tires. Many cars have all-weather tires on them at purchase. Check especially for tire wear. A tire with poor tread will not grip the road as well as a less-traveled tire. In addition, tires with deep tread resist hydroplaning. When a car hydroplanes, the tires ride on top of the puddle or road surface water. The car becomes impossible to control. The best prevention for this is to drive slower in bad weather. Proper inflation is a necessity so that the correct amount of tire comes into contact with the road. Experts suggest having your tires rotated and balanced about every 6,000 miles. You might also want to do a visual and then a pressure check of your spare tire.

5. If there is snow on the car, clear all of it off; not just the windows. This will not only improve your visibility but it will also save the driver behind you from getting a windshield full of blinding snow from you car.

6. Be sure to check your windshield washer fluid before starting out. Every experienced driver knows the misery of driving with a salt-covered windshield.

7. Keep your speed down well below the speed limit when the ground is wet or covered in wet leaves. A slower pace means that you’ll have more time to respond if you start skidding.

8. Unless you have anti-lock brakes, don’t brake if you start to skid. Instead, steer the car in the direction that you want it to go. This will help straighten it out. If you have anti-lock brakes, keep them pressed down as you maneuver the car.

9. Don’t use high beams in snow or fog. The added light just bounces back at your eyes, cutting down on your visibility.

10. While traveling in bad weather, especially on the highway, keep your distance. Keep much more space between cars than you think is needed.

11. Keep some emergency supplies in your care in case you get stuck. A blanket, comfortable walking shoes or boots, a hat, mittens and even an old jacket are all good supplies to have on hand. Some non-perishable foods, such as energy bars, dried fruit, nuts or cereal, along with bottled water (not filled to the top in case it freezes) are good additions, too.

12. If you should get stuck in you car, be sure to keep the snow away from the tailpipe if the engine is running at all. A blocked tailpipe will result in build-up of deadly carbon monoxide inside the car.