The Safe Driver

Do you have Spring “driving” fever?

Spring fever; do you feel it? I love the spring season. The fresh air, the plants coming alive, better fuel economy and great driving music. You’ve got to love the driving music! I’ve started to witness more drivers getting spring fever. They’re driving with their windows down and arms hanging outside while they drive. Does spring weather affect your driving differently than the other seasons?

The first chance I get to lower my window while driving through the city; I’m going to do it. Feeling the wind blow across my… scalp… is an awesome feeling. I tried it during the winter, but my head started to freeze. Having the fresh air blow through my car means it helps to air out my car. This is pretty much for the same reasons that we open up windows throughout our home during the same time of the year. It helps to get rid of the stale winter air from inside your vehicle.

Spring fever also means I look forward to washing my car outside of my house. No more do I need to use the car wash. I enjoy this part of owning a vehicle. It’s time to properly wash away the salt marks and get to the little grooves that car washes don’t get to. I can also wash away the salt marks on my floor mats. It’s time to make the car look new again.

Spring fever means I can finally take off my winter tires. The softer rubber compound of winter tires can wear down a little quicker when driving along the pavement. I want to ensure the temperature remains above 7 degrees Celsius before I remove them. The cold temperature makes the all-season tires quite hard, but once the temperature warms up, they’re good to drive on. If the temperature remains below 7 degrees and if the road is wet from rain, the all-season tires won’t grip the road as well as winter tires will. I just have to ensure its warm enough before switching.

It was a little milder the other day, but not warm enough to really say spring was here. However, a driver in my neighbourhood thought it was warm outside. They had their convertible

Spring fever also means I can remove some of those winter items from my trunk. No longer will I need the shovel, salt/sand mixture, extra gloves, ice scraper, etc. Now I have room for camping equipment, baseball equipment and anything else I may need during the spring and summer months. After removing those items, I also want to vacuum my trunk so I can remove any salt/sand that may have spilled during the winter months. That helps keep my vehicle clean and keeps the resell value high.

So, come on spring! I’m ready for you, as long as you’re ready for me!