SafeAuto Insurance Offers Tips to 'Winterize' Vehicles

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 20 -- SafeAuto Insurance Company is offering drivers ten tips to "winterize" their vehicles to ensure driver safety and prevent accidents and breakdowns during the busy travel season. The tips are based on market experience and frequent customer reports from SafeAuto's free roadside assistance program.

"Millions of drivers will be traveling this holiday season, and taking some simple preventative steps to winterize your car can mean the difference between a happy holiday and being stranded on the side of the road," said SafeAuto president Jon Diamond. "We pioneered the concept of keeping our customers legal for less, and keeping them safe is simply an extension of that spirit. Our customers know that if they need assistance we'll be there for them. However, if we're able to keep our drivers on the road, or prevent a roadside tragedy, that's a benefit that can't be beat."

SafeAuto recommends that all drivers should follow these tips to winterize their cars:

  1.  Check the blades. Replace worn blades and don't forget to fill the car
      with washer fluid and antifreeze solution.

  2.  Keep a full tank. Keeping your tank at least halfway full prevents
      moisture from freezing in the fuel lines.

  3.  Winterize your tires. Monitor your tire pressure. Cold air causes
      tires to contract, reducing traction. If you are traveling through an
      area prone to heavy snow, invest in tire chains.

  4.  Check the battery. Cold temperatures reduce battery capacity by up to
      50 percent. If your battery is more than 3 years old, have it checked
      by a certified technician.

  5.  Charge your cell. If vehicle trouble arises, it is far better to stay
      in the shelter of your car and make a phone call than to subject
      yourself to dangerous conditions.

  6.  Winterize your emergency kit. Stock your car with a flashlight, jumper
      cables, food and water, an ice scraper, a blanket, warm clothes and a
      first aid kit.

  7.  De-ice to unlock. A number of de-icing solutions are sold at discount
      or auto parts stores. But remember, if your locks are frozen, keeping
      de-icer in your car won't do any good.

  8.  Check your lights. Snow, sleet and freezing rain mean reduced
      visibility. Be sure your fellow drivers see you coming by making sure
      all of your lights are in proper working order.

  9.  Practice makes perfect. Haven't changed a flat in awhile? Don't know
      where your spare tire even is? It's better to prepare now, than to try
      and figure it out when the snow is piling up around you.

  10. Winterize your driving skills. It takes longer to slow down when the
      roads are covered with slippery ice and snow. Brake earlier than you
      normally would and pay special attention at intersections where
      vehicles are coming from multiple directions.

  About SafeAuto

SafeAuto Insurance Company was started in Ohio in 1993. As a provider of minimum insurance coverage and serving an underserved market, the company quickly expanded into Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri. Today, the company provides minimum insurance coverage to automobile drivers in 14 states. SafeAuto is a direct-to-consumer auto insurance company that does not rely on a middleman, which ultimately saves its clients money. The company specializes in minimum coverage to meet the law's requirements for automobile insurance coverage in every state in which it operates.

For more information visit http://www.safeauto.com/.