It’s time to buckle up, winter is coming soon and bringing with it harsh driving conditions.

Pretty soon, Jack Frost will be nipping at your nose and your vehicles. We spoke with experts on preventative car maintenance, which we should all be aware of before the snow starts to fall.

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“Have your car checked before bad weather arrives, make sure your tires have plenty of tread, check that battery, check your windshield wiper blades, make sure that they’re ready to remove snow and ice so you can see, and remember to obey all of the speed limit signs, because the faster you go, the less control you have over your vehicle if you have to react to skidding or sliding,” said Lynda Lambert, AAA Safety Advisor.

She said that the top reasons people request roadside assistance include flat tires, dead batteries, and lockouts. Of the millions of people who AAA provided roadside assistance to last year, most of the car troubles were battery-related.

Lambert said that it’s imperative to check your battery, especially if it’s more than three years old.

Colder weather has the ability to weaken your car battery which is having a healthy battery is vital for your car to withstand winter. In addition to battery health, good tires are another main component of a winter-ready vehicle.

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Many people know to at least update their front tires, but one mechanic from Harrell Automotive, Seth Suchocki, told us that there are additional measures to winter preparedness.

“People like to just put new good tires on the front of their vehicle if they’re front wheel drive and sometimes all wheel drive, but that’s not recommended. It should be new all four, because even though you do have good traction in the front for going and stopping, your back does not, so you could slide around a lot, so definitely four tires is important,” he said.

In addition to routine maintenance on your car, Suchocki suggested having an emergency kit stocked with items such as flares, jumper cables, and even a cozy blanket.

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