Stop Doing These Winter Driving Myths

As Canadians, there are plenty of funny rituals we engage in when it comes to winter driving. From pouring warm water on your vehicle to “speed up the defrosting process”, to letting the vehicle run for a good 10 minutes before climbing behind the wheel, to hauling a ton of seasonal accessories with you to make the drive more manageable (thick wool blankets, seat warmers; we’re looking at you), we’ve all acted on at least one popular winter driving myth. But as intelligent as some of these antics might seem, the truth is, they do very little to help your car in the freezing winter temperatures. We’ve outlined some of the funniest, most outrageous and downright normal-sounding myths that truck drivers tend to do. See them debunked here.

You Can Keep The Snow Roof On Top Of Your Vehicle

We’ve all seen one of these drivers plowing down the 401. Call it ignorance or call it laziness, but drivers who drive with a roof of snow on the roof of their trucks need to be stopped. Not only does it look ridiculous, but drivers who engage in this behaviours are actually putting other drivers at risk. Contrary to popular belief, driving long enough won’t actually melt it all off--it’s more likely to blow into the windshield of another driver and jeopardize their visibility. Plus, if you brake suddenly, that snow mound will slide right onto YOUR windshield and put YOU at risk!. Be a good person, get up 10 minutes earlier and wipe it off before you hit the road.

Let Your Truck Warm Up First

Letting your truck run idle for a few minutes only wastes expensive fuel. Modern trucks don’t need to sit and warm up anymore, thanks to better lubricant and fuel options, like synthetic gas or diesel blends. These oils do not thicken up in cold temperatures like conventional oil and as such, they flow better in colder temperatures. Stop hiding in your house and get in the driver’s seat! Smart truckers might like to take advantage of Hino’s heated seats for the colder winter mornings, as well as other trendy accessories meant to increase comfort. Plus, we’ve all heard of truck thefts that tend to happen when the vehicle is warming up unattended.

ABS Gives You Wings

Depending on how you look at it, it just might! In all seriousness, ABS shouldn’t be relied upon to make you invincible to skidding and loss of traction. If you’re still driving without installing your winter tires, you definitely shouldn’t trust your ABS to take care of the job. ABS provide excellent traction on dry or wet smooth surfaces like pavement or concrete, but on loose or unpredictable surfaces like snow, the results vary. Always remember to brake and accelerate with caution if you’re driving in icy or snowy conditions, and never rely solely on technology.

Winter Tires Are For Country Folk

Just because we have snow plows and salt trucks that patrol Toronto’s highways and residential neighbourhoods doesn’t mean you don’t need your winter tires. Many people seem to think that the amount of traffic that converts the fresh snow into slush is enough to kill the need for winter tires. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. At least in rural areas there are less vehicles on the road, which means if you weren’t driving with winter tires, you might avoiding injuring others. But in a city like Toronto, that’s not the case. With more traffic on the road, it’s your responsibility to practice safe driving. Without winter tires, your wheels will fail to grip the pavement properly and you run the risk of sliding into a ditch or oncoming traffic. Get those winter tires on!

People From Up North Drive Better

It’s like saying Canadian truckers only stop at Tim Horton’s, and ignore all of the other fantastic truck stops along the way. Just because you’re from up north where there might be a lot more snow, doesn’t make you a better driver. Good driving comes from experience, nothing else.

Are you guilty of any of these winter driving offenses? Bust the myths and practice safe winter driving in Canada today! Book a service appointment with Somerville Hino’s Service Department to make sure your truck is ready for winter. Call us today at 1-(877) 650-6296 or contact our team online.