According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), approximately 115 million Americans were forecasted to travel 50 miles or more from home over the winter holidays. That’s a 2.2% increase over 2022 and the “second highest year-end travel forecast since 2000 when AAA began tracking holiday travel.” Of those travelers, 103 million were doing so by automobile.
If you were one of these 100+ million on the road braving the colder temperatures found in many areas across the U.S., you may have experienced some wintry driving conditions.
Taking this volume of people hitting the highways and the time of year into consideration, we conducted a brief survey to see how driving habits change in the winter months and how prepared drivers are where their vehicles are concerned.
See below for illustrations of the survey results.
Winter driving tips
Perhaps you got a new vehicle over the recent holidays and wanted to get out in your fresh ride, or simply found yourself traveling to see family and friends in the minivan. During the winter months, getting out for either of these activities can have you traversing the reality that wintry weather presents different driving conditions not often seen in warmer months. It’s good to keep aware of the hazards and be prepared no matter what colder-weather driving may bring.
Smart tips to keep in mind when hitting the road during the winter include watching your speed and keeping a safe distance between your car and others to give you plenty of time to stop. Check out this winter driving tips article that includes a helpful graphic on how to keep safe on the road.
Importance of scheduled maintenance
Another important aspect about driving in the winter months is keeping on top of scheduled maintenance. While it’s no fun to go out to start the car only to realize you have a dead battery, it’s especially an issue in frigid weather.
The same goes for tires. Tire pressure and tread should be checked before winter driving as well to ensure proper inflation and optimum grip on slick, wintry roads. For a helpful list of 10 scheduled maintenance services with recommended replacement timelines, check out the article here.
