How do you winterize your car?

How do you make sure you are safe on the road even in winter? It's important to get your car winterized so you don't have any unpleasant surprises.

Winter tires or not?

Many motorists see the purchase of winter tires as a useless investment. The main reason for this is that really harsh winters rarely occur in the Netherlands. Even if there is no snow, winter tires can indeed make driving a lot safer. Even at temperatures below seven degrees Celsius, winter tires do a better job than summer tires. Still, there is 60% more chance of damage in winter.

The rubber of the tires, under normal weather conditions, sticks to the road. This provides 75 percent of the grip the car has on the road. In wet and slippery roads, the sticking effect is less and grip on the road must be provided in a different way. Winter tires can help here. This is because they are made of a softer rubber compound than summer tires. This keeps them a lot smoother at lower temperatures. A winter tire has a much coarser tread and many indentations that make movement of the rubber easier.

4-Season tires

The 4-season tires, also called "all season tires," are tires that you can drive all year long. The main advantage of these tires is that you do not need to change them. Because 4-season tires combine the characteristics of summer and winter tires, they are not comparable to winter tires. If you go on a winter trip, winter tires are a must anyway because of driving on snowy roads in the mountains.

What else should you pay attention to?

Besides choosing or not choosing winter tires, there are a number of things you can do to ensure that you are safer on the road during the winter months. In low temperatures, the car may not want to start. This is due to a weak battery. It is better to not only drive short trips, but also longer distances. Have a weak battery replaced in time to avoid annoyances.

In addition, it is important that you hit the road with clean windows. Good visibility is not only safer for everyone, but it also saves you a hefty fine. In this regard, you can also look at the windshield washer fluid. In fact, this comes in two types; the summer and winter variety. Make sure you use the blue variant during the winter to prevent the windows from freezing when using the fluid. The pink liquid is the summer variant and not antifreeze. This one causes problems when it starts to freeze. To defrost your windows, use a good scraper and do not limit the scratching to a small area, but clean the front and side windows completely. Never use hot water to defrost your windows! The big difference in temperature can cause the window to crack.

Good insurance

You have purchased a good car insurance policy. What about the amount paid out after an accident? Will you get a lower payout in an accident if you don't have winter tires? In an accident, it makes no difference to the liability issue what tires are on the car. Car insurance companies don't pay attention to this. You are simply insured without winter tires.

Therefore, in the Netherlands and Belgium, winter tires are not mandatory, but are recommended. In Germany and Luxembourg, however, they are mandatory. If you cause an accident in Germany in winter conditions, the driver of the car without winter tires can be held liable for the accident. So check well in advance about the laws and regulations regarding winter tires at your (vacation) destination.