With the fresh snow falls almost daily, we find ourselves lending our helping hands more often. From digging someone out of a tough snow bank or pushing a stalled vehicle off the path of traffic, we are appreciative of all the help and friendliness we see around our city. On the highways, we note that a second vehicle almost always accompanies the broken down one with a cell phone, tow ropes or booster cables. This past Wednesday, the pre-owned and fleet personal gave a helping hand to a motorist that found himself wedged firmly on an ice berm just past out main gate. Seeing that there was no way of digging into the ice to loosen the tires, they called upon the help of our maintenance man Bert to bring his trusty bobcat over and a tow rope. Being on a busy major road and on the cusp of rush hour proved tricky to keep traffic at bay, but with a tug and still a bit of a push the truck was free. A courteous wave and two thumbs up gave all the thanks we needed.
With winter obviously settled in and not letting up, I wanted to offer my suggestions of important items to carry in your vehicle during the winter. One trustworthy item would be a shovel. I find a smaller shovel works best for my small sedan, but a good sized one can work too. All sorts of shovels can be found at Canadian Tire or Home Hardware stores. With the shovel, a bag of sand can be useful to pour under the slippery tire to gain traction. Again, it doesn't have to be huge, but just enough to stick under a slippery tire in a jam. I also carry an emergency kit. These can range from minor to extreme. They can include basic medical supplies, booster cables, blankets or flashlights and candles. Make sure when you pick a emergency kit that it's right for you and you would feel comfortable with the capability of it. A quick note here about the flashlights, choose a wind-up flashlight. Batteries die in cold temperatures. If you do choose a battery flashlight, make sure to change the batteries often. Obviously a cell phone is an integral part too. Most people have cell phones now and an vehicle charger would help to keep the battery life full. Also to note, make sure you always have a full tank of gas and that you check your battery to make sure it's full power. If you need help with any of this we can help. This is the extent of what I carry for emergencies, but there are many more options. If you have some that I missed please feel free to email me bethra@kochford.com and I'll add them to the post! Cheers and Safe Driving! Beth