5 Ways to Make Your Car Winter Ready

Winter's a wonderful time of the year -- except when you are doing a doughnut in the middle of an icy street. Even though the snowplows have been mothballed for now, hazardous road conditions can spring up overnight.

"Prepare for the worst possible weather," says Lon Anderson, AAA Mid-Atlantic's director of government and public affairs. "If something comes up, you'll be ready for it."

Here are five steps AAA recommends to ready car and driver for winter's worst.

Do a checkup. Give your car a thorough once-over, especially if it's more than five years old. Make sure the battery cables are tightly connected and corrosion-free, the drive belts are tight and the hoses aren't leaky. Test your lights and check your tires' air supply and tread. If your mechanic skills are shaky, swing by a garage for a quick checkup.

Watch your liquids. Cold temperatures can cause your car radiator to freeze and crack if it's filled with water. Instead, fill it with a 50-50 mix of water and antifreeze coolant. Add no-freeze wiper fluid to the reservoir, and keep an extra bottle of wiper fluid in the trunk.

Get in gear. Before you leave home, charge your cellphone or buy a charger for your car. Keep a box of emergency supplies in the car. You'll need an ice scraper, a snow brush, flares, jumper cables, a thermal blanket, a flashlight with extra batteries and snacks with a long shelf life, such as chocolate and trail mix. (For a list of emergency supplies from the American Red Cross, visit http://www.redcross.org.) In case you get stuck, take along a small shovel and an abrasive material such as sand or cat litter to help your car gain traction on snow or ice.

Keep it clean. Hit the carwash frequently to scrub off crusted de-icing chemicals and salt. These can erode your car's paint job and cling to windshields and mirrors, reducing visibility.

Curb the road rage. This is not the season for Andretti moves: Drive slowly and patiently, and leave extra space between your car and other vehicles; stopping distance can triple in icy conditions. If your car starts to skid on ice, cautiously turn in the direction you want to go. And remember, that shiny asphalt ahead could be evil black ice.

- Ben Chapman