Winter driving in the hills: Here’s your checklist

H. Kishie Singh

Republic Day is around the corner and it seems like a longish weekend. And you never know, the weather gods might oblige with a snowfall in the hills.

It has been a strange winter weather-wise, so be prepared for the worst, which will be fun! Your clothes should be for arctic conditions, blankets, food, water and a flask of hot coffee. Add your own demands like medicine to complete the list. Carry it with you!

The car should be road worthy. Now, road worthy, for most people, means the engine is purring like a content cat. Anti-freeze, a full tank of fuel. All set! What about the tyres?

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a workshop for an engine oil change. The car in the next bay, a taxi with HP plates, was having a tune up. “This way I make sure I get good fuel average”, the driver told me. As the car was hoisted on a lift to drain engine oil, I noticed the tyres. The hair on my neck bristled. It was like watching an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie. The tyres had died a couple of years ago. Radials, they had been retreated! Every tyre manufacturer will tell you that radial tyres cannot be retreaded. But taxi drivers basically have no knowledge about the finer points of driving. They are profit-oriented and will take shortcuts to make money. A new tyre costs Rs 5,000; retread is Rs 1,500, but a potential killer.

Driving in the summer, the retread will happily part company with the tyre carcass. That is the word the tyre manufacturers use and it is right on! Carcass, dead!

In the hills, a touch of snow, slush, ice and the retread tyre, probably with a Made in Bathinda tread, will not be able to hold the car to the road.

For sure, the family will be with you. Your car must have a good set of tyres to deal with any road conditions and stay glued to Mother Earth’s bosom. Please don’t behave like the taxi driver.

Today, tyre of every make and type is available in the market. The best choice for any car is a tyre designated A/T, meaning All Terrain. The name says it all. It will be good on the highway, in the hills and if you get caught in a snow-storm, they will perform better than tyres marked H/T, Highway Terrain. The tyres should be properly inflated and in good condition.

Another very important point is lights. Today’s cars have projector lights or LED lights, which throw a very strong white light. The fog, mist and snow are also white. The white light from your head lights will reflect off the white fog and mist. It will come right back into your eyes, momentarily blinding you and effectively ruining your vision when you need it most!

A very simple way to improve your vision. Take some yellow transparent paper that the ‘halwais’ use.  Tape it over your head lights. Now your head lights will emit a yellow light. Yellow has a longer wave length than white light. This enables the light to penetrate the fog and mist.

You will be able to see further only, only if your headlights are on low beam. Repeat, only on low beam.

Happy Motoring!