Oh sure, it was 50 degrees during the first week of January…nice weather if you can get it here in Cincinnati. Trouble is, that nice weather is gone away for a while. Winter has shown up whether we’re ready for it or not.

Every winter, we get busier here at the body shop. While we appreciate the increase in business, we’d also like to help you and your vehicle stay safe on the wet, icy winter roads. So the Auto Body Guru has put together a few tips for thriving while driving in winter.

Keep your patience handy. Everything slows down in the snow, and it should. The thousands of pounds of moving steel known as your vehicle needs your full attention, and your best ability not to hurry. Rolling along without rushing also gives you time to maneuver when cars and conditions around you require action to avoid a wreck.

The number one piece of advice for safely navigating up a snowy, icy hill is “Don’t stop!” Few things are more difficult in a car, truck, or SUV than trying to get moving up an icy road once you’ve the vehicle has stopped. Keep those wheels a’rollin’ while accelerating slowly (if you spin, back off slightly), and your momentum can get you to the top of that treacherous incline.

In Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, you can’t avoid the hills. You can, however, know how to keep yourself safe if one of those hills wins the wintry battle with your car. There are plenty of places where, despite our best efforts, our vehicles can become stuck in the snow.

Stuck in the snow, your car is your only shelter. Especially in a severe storm, it’s easy to lose sight of your car in the midst of blowing snow. Stay with it, and make an easy distress signa by tying a brightly colored cloth to an antenna or rolling it up in a window. Staying there also makes it easier for rescue to find you. To help stay warm, insulate yourself with anything you can find, from floor mats to maps. Run the engine and heater sparingly, just long enough to remove your chill. And before you leave, let someone know where you’re going and when you’re expected there. If you don’t show, then someone knows you may be in wintry danger.

Whether you’re in Anderson, Covington, Erlanger or Oakley, we’re not far and ready to help! If you have any questions about auto body repair, need a free estimate, or if there’s anything we can do for you or your car, give Nate or Jason a call at Center City Collision at 513-631-2406, or email us at cccollision@gmail.com.