Northfield Township Tim Rueckert
ROAD DISTRICT Highway Commissioner

Winterize Your Vehicle

Until you’ve been stranded along a lonely highway in sub-zero temperatures, you probably haven’t thought that your vehicle can be an instrument of danger.

But your vehicle, unless you have prepared it for the rigors of winter travel, can get you into an awful lot of trouble.

Winter driving in Illinois is hazardous, even deadly unless motorists take proper caution and care before taking to the roads. Proper vehicle maintenance is essential before anyone even thinks about driving in heavy snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures.

We recommend a bumper-to-bumper inspection of any vehicle before it is deemed worthy of winter road travel. Every motorist should check for:

Make sure your car is equipped for emergencies. These life saving items are essential:

In emergency conditions, the safest place is inside your vehicle. If you are stranded and unable to walk for help, the only time you should leave your vehicle is to clear the exhaust area of snow. A blocked exhaust pipe can cause deadly carbon monoxide fumes to leak back into the vehicle and kill you.

We need to stay prepared throughout the winter driving season so that we all can enjoy next spring together.