{"id":15088,"date":"2025-12-30T12:10:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T17:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/?p=15088"},"modified":"2026-06-29T05:31:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T09:31:02","slug":"caltrans-how-to-winterize-your-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/caltrans-how-to-winterize-your-car\/15088\/","title":{"rendered":"January is the snowiest month of the year and Caltrans says these 4 gadgets could save your life on winter roads"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Christmas and New Year&#8217;s celebrations may be out of sight and out of mind, but one thing will remain with us a while longer, namely, winter. As a result, Americans are being urged to stay vigilant and ensure their own safety and that of others. That is why Caltrans is showing <strong>how to winterize your car<\/strong> with four useful gadgets to be safe, especially during snowstorms. Travelers to and from the northernmost parts of the U.S. may want to pay attention, as the month with the heaviest snowfall is far from over.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Tis the snowiest month of the year<\/h2>\n<p>While not everyone may have been blessed with a white Christmas, winter is far from over. Historically, January <a href=\"https:\/\/weather.com\/storms\/winter\/news\/2024-12-27-january-weather-snow-cold-peak-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ranks as either the first- or second-snowiest month<\/a> across many parts of the U.S., and this January will be no different! According to the Direct Weather winter forecast for 2025-2026, the following northern areas will most likely see snow this month due to La Ni\u00f1a continuing to develop:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Northern Plains and Midwest &#8211; colder and stormier<\/li>\n<li>Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies &#8211; consistent snowfall<\/li>\n<li>Northeast &#8211; Higher possibility of above &#8211; average snowfall<\/li>\n<li>The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley &#8211; significant snowfall<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a result of January&#8217;s snowy persistence, <strong>road safety is an increasing concern<\/strong>. That is why Caltrans is showing us how to &#8216;winterize your car&#8217; by simply utilizing four useful gadgets to ensure your own safety and that of others. Find out more below.<\/p>\n<h2>Caltrans shows how to winterize your car<\/h2>\n<p>Road safety has become a major priority in the U.S., which is why 2025 can be remembered as the year of traffic rule reforms. Several states and cities introduced stricter rules, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/new-york-major-change-violations-system\/8861\/\">New York&#8217;s new rules featuring traffic points and a violations system.<\/a> Whereas some may find the traffic rule reforms excessive, others consider them lifesaving.<\/p>\n<p>This month, road safety will once again be at the top of the list of priorities, as January typically poses the following <strong>winter road hazards<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Problems and\/or breakdowns due to cold weather affecting batteries, tyres, and fuel lines<\/li>\n<li>Slippery surfaces from snow, ice, and slush make stopping in time more difficult<\/li>\n<li>Black ice causes sudden traction loss<\/li>\n<li>Decreased visibility, especially in snowstorms and loose snow from other vehicles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fortunately, according to Caltrans, four useful gadgets can enhance road safety, especially during snowstorms.<\/p>\n<h2>Four useful gadgets to be safe during snowstorms<\/h2>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dot.ca.gov\/-\/media\/dot-media\/programs\/maintenance\/documents\/winter-driving-working-2019-a11y.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">official suggestions from CalTrans<\/a>, the following four useful gadgets can be lifesaving:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Antifreeze\n<ul>\n<li>To keep a radiator in working condition and warm up the engine faster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Shovel\n<ul>\n<li>To free snowed-in vehicles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Ice scraper\/deicer\n<ul>\n<li>To clear windows of snow\/ice and increase visibility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Chains (tyre traction device)\n<ul>\n<li>Must be the correct size for tires<\/li>\n<li>Must be in working condition<\/li>\n<li>Important to know if a vehicle is rear or front wheel drive when installing on the drive wheels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The latter is the most important, as it is <strong>mandatory to have chains in one&#8217;s possession<\/strong>. Those without a chain will be prohibited from proceeding with their journey. Please note that the speed limit with chains will either be 25, 30, or 35 mph, depending on conditions. Caltrans also advises road users to expect delays during snowstorms and that chain control locations could change rapidly.<\/p>\n<p>Caltrans further adds that <strong>traffic may be temporarily held<\/strong> by them or by HP until weather conditions improve. This inevitably decreases the possibility of spinouts and\/or accidents. Should you be caught in traffic above the snow line, other useful items that will come in handy during snowstorms include gloves to stay warm, a flashlight with additional batteries, sand\/kitty litter for traction, blankets, extra warm clothing, and snacks and water. And remember, regional laws vary; for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/can-you-be-ticketed-for-driving-with-snow\/449\/\">you could be fined for driving with snow on your car<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christmas and New Year&#8217;s celebrations may be out of sight and out of mind, but one thing will remain with us a while longer, namely, winter. As a result, Americans are being urged to stay vigilant and ensure their own safety and that of others. That is why Caltrans is showing how to winterize your &#8230; <a title=\"January is the snowiest month of the year and Caltrans says these 4 gadgets could save your life on winter roads\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/caltrans-how-to-winterize-your-car\/15088\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about January is the snowiest month of the year and Caltrans says these 4 gadgets could save your life on winter roads\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":15477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"winterize your car,Caltrans,useful gadgets","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Caltrans is showing how to winterize your car with four useful gadgets to be safe, especially during snowstorms common in the northernmost parts.","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobility"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15088\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}