4 Tips for the Perfect Winter Road Trip

When you think about a road trip, you are probably imagining it during the summer. While the warmer months are often a more appealing time to take a road trip, many people actually travel more during the winter months when visiting friends and family for the holidays. However, if you decide to drive to your winter destination, you should take certain precautions to keep yourself and your passengers safe. Otherwise, you are playing with fire . . . er, or ice. Below are a few tips on how to plan a seamless cold weather road trip:

Bring a Friend or Other Family Member

Not only will bringing a friend or family member provide you with some company (useful for making sure you stay awake on a long haul), but they can also potentially split the driving with you. This keeps your chances of having an accident at a minimum. While your companion is driving you can catch a quick nap to keep your energy levels high for your fun-filled mini vacation.

Physically Print Out Directions

This may seem a little old-school, but having a printed set of directions will come in handy if your navigation system fails – which is always a possibility. There is nothing worse than driving aimlessly in a city or state without the slightest idea of where you are or how to get where you are going. Familiarize yourself with the major highways and the direction in which you should be heading on your trip so that, if you get lost, you will have a general idea of how to reroute. When in doubt, buy a state or regional map to supplement, or grab one of the free ones sometimes offered by welcome centers at the state borders. Keeping a physical copy of the directions could be the difference between arriving before or after Christmas day.

Keep Your Tank Relatively Full 

No matter how carefully you study the directions or how many GPS systems you have on hand, it's still possible to get turned around – especially if it's your first time traveling to a location. If you're on a long stretch of country road with no civilization in sight or on a turnpike that you can't get off of for several miles, the last thing you want to be worried about is whether you have enough gas. For this reason, it's crucial to keep your tank full. It may also be smart to keep a small gas can in your trunk for emergency situations – though, for safety reasons, it's best that you keep it empty while driving. As a rule of thumb, always fuel up when you hit 1/4^th of a tank to ensure that you're never too low.

Winterize Your Car

Getting your car winter-ready involves replacing and topping off all of your fluids, switching out your windshield wipers and exterior lights, getting new brakes installed, and equipping the vehicle with winter tires. Your fluids (like oil and antifreeze) will keep your engine running smoothly, changing your wipers will allow you to see clearly in harsh weather, brake pads will be crucial to your ability to stop, and the treading on new tires will reduce your chances of sliding and skidding out. Remember not to go too cheap on your replacements, as these are the things that will keep you safe in dangerous conditions. In this case, it pays to go with the best and most reliable brands like Nokian snow tires.

The winter is a beautiful season, but it can be a hazardous one too. If you follow these tips when planning a road trip this winter, you are more likely to rule the road than end up on the side of it.