With Winter finally here we all need to be prepared for the ice and snow and keep everyone including ourselves SAFE on the road. Here are just a few tips to all the LR drivers.

• Carry communications. Carry a phone, maps, and check the weather frequently. A weather radio can give up-to-the-minute information on changing weather conditions. It’s surprising how quickly decent roads can become treacherous.

• Carry the proper equipment. A shovel, blankets, snow chains, jumper cables, chemical heat packs, and gloves are common items for those who partake in regular winter travel.

• Be prepared to get stuck and have a plan for what to do. Getting stuck in your driveway — don’t laugh, it happens! — is a much different scenario than being stranded on the Interstate. Know where your vehicle’s recovery points are and use the correct type of recovery equipment. You may opt to remove the plastic covers from your recovery points for the winter season. Trying to pry those things off with freezing fingers and brittle plastics can be an exercise in frustration.

• Consider winter tires. You can also consider running all-season tires if you don’t wish to maintain a secondary set of winter tires. Winter tires can make or break a winter driving trip, but all-season tires are a good general purpose solution.

• Clear your rims for snow to avoid wheel balance problems. If your vehicle starts vibrating at speed, it might have snow or ice built up inside the rims. Washing out the wheels with warm water can remove the snow and ice and solve the problem. Be sure to test your brakes after washing the wheels in freezing temperatures.

• Make sure window and door seals are clean. This reminds me of the time a friend washed his car in sub-zero weather and then went shopping. When he came out of the store all of the doors were frozen solid. There was no way to get into the car. Not only can your doors and windows freeze shut, if you open the door or window while it’s frozen may damage the seal.

• Make sure the wiper blades are clean and in good condition. Special winter blades can be purchased. These blades usually have a rubber sheath or a single-arm design that prevents the wiper from icing up. Even Land Rover’s heated windshields can’t keep up with the nastiest of conditions so having high-quality wiper blades is a must.

• Keep windows, lights, and license plate clear of snow. This one goes back to our little introductory rant. It takes just a couple of minutes to clear windows of ice and snow. If you don’t feel like going at your car with a scraper, you can let it run for a bit with the defrost setting on high to help speed things along.

• Make sure the windshield washer fluid is suitable for the temperature. Frozen windshield washer fluid can damage your vehicle at worst, work ineffectively at best. Windshield washer fluids that ice up immediately upon contact with the glass are of little use.