Driving Home for Christmas

Well I'm being driven and I'm going to someone elses home but it's definately that time of year!

Yep that's right, winter driving preparation.  Coming from a country that grinds to a halt upon the first flake of snow to hit the Tarmac, it's nice to be somewhere that plans ahead and tries to combat Jack Frost's traps on the roads.

Canadian Tire were nice enough to host an educational evening with a steering twist, it was held at Grand Prix Kartways home to the most awesome vending machine in the world and a Go-Kart race track.

The promise of skidding wildly around the circuit was contrasted by the message of safety shown in a presentation of various different products and inovations.

The Five Top Tips discussed seemed pretty common sense but made a great introduction to each range of items:

1.Install Winter Tires

-Makes sense right?  You wouldn't wear flip-flops on your feet outside in December after all.  They had the tires there so we could get up close and personal, giving the a squeeze to feel the different texture that gives an enchanced girp.

2.See and be Seen

-Cloudy headlights are often the cause of dim illumination rather than the bulb inside fading out with age.  It sounds like a scary project to replace the glass but you don't have to with lens restoration kits that hook up to an electric drill and give the clear surface a buffed up scheen to be just like new.  You also want to be able to see out during what ever comes your way on the windshield so wiper blades can be upgraded too.

3.Top up Fluids

-Seasonal fluids are more than just eggnog, synthetic oil is specially made for the colder condtions to keep your engine ticking over nicely.

4.Check the health of your battery

-It's not as easy as plugging it in a wall socket to recharge it when it dies.  Don't get caught out.  If it's been in your car for three years or longer you should get it checked annually.

5.Stock up on essential winter items

-An emergency roadside kit is such a good idea, especially when things like Sarnia snow happens.

 After getting to grips with all the infomation it was time to drive!

Thankfully we were inside and didn't have to put in to practice any of the tips we had just learned. It had been a while since I'd  been behind a wheel this size (and on the opposite side of the road I hasten to add) so I didn't fare too well against the other drivers.  It was a fun evening and I managed to retain some if not all the knowledge inside my helmut despite rattling down the home straight at top speed.

 Wherever you are travelling to today safe Vrooming!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! If you'd like a chance to win a Tuque, a 2GB memory stick and a wad of Candian Tire money comment below listing the Five Top Tips I mentioned. I'll pick a winner after Christmas (Contest open to anyone in Canada) Good Luck.