Seven Things You Shouldn’t Leave in a Cold Car

Winter may be winding down, but it’s likely that we still have several weeks of cold weather before things warm up. We’re certain that, at this point in the winter, you’ve remembered how your car becomes a deep freezer when you’re not driving it.

While there’s little you can do to prevent a frozen steering wheel and bitterly cold seat, you do have control over what you leave in the car. After reading this article in USA Today, we decided to share their list of things not to freeze. Keep reading to learn what 7 things you should never leave in your vehicle during the winter.

Seven Things to Never Leave in a Cold Car

1. Loved Ones: This may be unnecessary to point out, but leaving your loved ones in an ice-cold car isn’t a good idea. It’s worth saying that children and the elderly are more susceptible to hypothermia. So no matter if you’re just running into the store for one moment, don’t leave family members behind.
2. Cell Phones: Both Apple and Samsung advise against storing cell phones at temperatures below -4 degrees, and they say not to use them in temperatures lower than 32. The part of your phone that’s most vulnerable to chilly temperatures? Your lithium battery. It can stop working when it becomes chilled. While it should go back to normal at room temperature, repeated exposure to cold can lead to lasting damage.
3. Beer or Soda: Since water expands when it freezes, this can be a recipe for disaster with bottled drinks. Coke freezes at 30 degrees, and 5% alcohol beer freezes at 27. As the water turns to ice and expands, this can lead to explosions.
4. Canned Foods: Since these have high water content, allowing canned goods to freeze can lead to similar problems as can happen with beer or soda. When food expands inside the can, it can break the seal. If you’re caught in a jam with a frozen can, allow it to thaw in the fridge. If it doesn’t look or smell normal, dispose of it. Don’t taste it! Also, throw out cans that are rusted or burst. When you dispose of the can, take care to ensure that no one, including animals, can get to it.
5. Musical Instruments: Unlike water, most things contract when the freeze. If you leave an instrument in your car and it shrinks as a result of the cold, it could lead to serious damage, especially with wooden instruments.
6. Eggs: If you leave eggs behind and they freeze in their shells, dispose of any cracked eggs, and refrigerate uncracked ones before use. You will be hard-pressed to do anything with the egg other than hard boil it. Frozen and then thawed eggs have a different texture since frozen yolks become thick and syrupy.
7. A Dwindling Gas Tank: Keep your tank at least half-full in chilly temps. This prevents your fuel lines from freezing. Keep an eye on your other fluids and your tires while you’re at it. The pressure change from the cold can affect these.

Keep warm and safe as we head into the last weeks of winter!

Five Impairments Other Than Alcohol That Affect Your Driving

We all know that drinking and driving is a recipe for disaster. Not only is it illegal, but there are countless promotions, billboards, and commercials warning us of its dangers.

This is certainly a good thing. Alcohol impairs our judgment, clouds our senses, and slows our reaction time. If you’ve been drinking, you’re in no position to get behind the wheel.

However, there are a number of other factors that can impair your driving significantly that get little attention. In fact, many of them are perfectly legal. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of factors, other than drinking, that impair your driving.

Five Factors Other Than Drinking that Impair Your Driving Ability

Dehydration: A 2015 study found that drivers who were mildly dehydrated made as many errors as drunk drivers. They were likely to make mistakes like crossing rumble strips, late braking, and lane drifting. So drink up! If you’re on a long trip, make frequent stops for bathroom breaks and bottle fill-ups.

Drowsiness: Stay alert, stay alive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue. Since right now it’s difficult to connect fatigue to crashes, the actual number is likely much higher.

Distraction: Distracted driving is anything that takes away attention from the road. That could mean texting or talking on the phone, talking to passengers, eating or drinking, or adjusting the stereo or GPS system. When you text, your eyes are off the road for at least 5 seconds. That means at 55 mph, you will drive the length of a football field by the time you look back at the road. So pay attention!

Emotions: If you are overcome with an emotionally-charged thought or event, it can be difficult to focus on much else. At the drop of a hat, your mood can change, affecting your driving without you even realizing it. And it isn’t just negative emotions–positive feelings can distract you just as much. So be aware of how you feel, and if you need a moment to work through your emotions, there isn’t any shame in pulling over.

OTC and Prescription Drugs: Everyone is different, so OTC medicines like antihistamines and cold pills could make you sleepy, even if their label says nondrowsy. If you just started a new prescription, be alert. Until you know how your medication effects you, it’s a good idea to refrain from driving.

We hope these tips make our roads a bit safer this holiday season!