SayStudent.com

Prepare Your College Student for Winter

filed: November 15 2009

One of the chief concerns for parents of college students is how their offspring is functioning while at college. Is he eating the right foods? Is she safe walking across campus at night? Do they need money?

Another concern for parents is the traveling that students must do from campus to home, travel which can take many hours, even days if the student lives far away. Not everyone flies home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring break, with many students choosing to drive many miles to reach their destinations.

Winter presents one of the most challenging – and worrisome – times for parents especially for children who must drive when roads are wet, icy, or snow packed. Having a cell phone handy is a must and a good navigation system with an emergency aid feature can certainly be helpful. But there isn't anything more important than making sure that the car is truly road ready.

"Preparing your vehicle for winter is critical for safe driving throughout the season," said Denise Champagne, marketing manager, OSRAM SYLVANIA. "It's important to make sure headlights are a part of seasonal maintenance."

As part of the company's outreach initiative to drivers, Osram Sylvania is urging people to prepare their cars now before taking a trip. Millions of students will be streaming home for Thanksgiving with countless more making a second trip at Christmas. Both holidays can mean one thing: treacherous road conditions. Therefore, before your child heads back home, you'll want to make sure that the following tips are followed to ensure their safe return:

• "Winterize" your vehicle. Change the engine lubricant to synthetic oil, change to winter wiper blades, flush your cooling system with fresh coolant/antifreeze, fill the washer fluid reservoir with de-icer washer fluid and carry an emergency safety kit.
  
  
• Drive with your lights on. If daytime visibility is limited, turn on your headlights to be seen by other drivers. When traveling in snowy weather, remember to brush off your taillights, turn signals and headlamps.
  
  
• Change headlights in pairs before they burn out. Most headlights dim up to 20 percent over time so evaluate yours every year for optimum performance. The end of daylight savings time is a perfect yearly reminder.
  
  
• Upgrade to high performance halogen lighting. SYLVANIA SilverStar(R) ULTRA bulbs are up to 50 percent brighter and increase down road visibility by up to 40 percent when compared to worn standard bulbs. Studies have shown that whiter, brighter halogen lighting can improve reaction time, increase nighttime visibility and provide better roadside viewing.
  
  
• Check headlight alignment. Misaligned headlights can be distracting and dangerous. Ask your auto service technician to align them for you.
  
  
• Clean headlight lenses regularly. Wash headlight lenses when you wash your windshield. You'll see better at night and in poor weather conditions.
  
  
• Make sure all vehicle lights are working. Have a friend turn on your headlights and signal lights while you walk around the outside of your vehicle.
  
  
• Check your tire pressure regularly. Whether you park inside or outside, you will lose a pound of tire pressure for every 10 degrees of outside temperature change.
  
  
• Adjust your speed. By decreasing your speed you allow yourself more time to respond in bad weather.
  
  
• Brake carefully. When roads are slippery, brake in a straight line before a curve in the road. Lift your foot from the brake before you steer into a corner. This allows you to steer and not slide through the corner. Don't accelerate away from the corner until the steering wheel is again straight.

The way that this season is shaping up, more than likely it'll be snowy and icy, two hazards that can be handled, especially if your child's car is in winter running order.