Driving in the winter time is uncomfortable and can be dangerous at times. From simple things like letting your car heat up before you start your commute to leaving your wipers up when you park your car. There are many simple tips and tricks to beating the winter weather of the upper Midwest. Extreme weather conditions can wreak havoc on even the best prepared car. The true test of a winter warrior is the car owner’s preparedness. Here are five simple tips that I feel are necessary to know for the average car owner to help beat the frozen tundra of the Upper Midwest.

1. Start your car in advance

This may seem like a no-brainer but for your safety and comfort this is a must! Your comfort is obvious in this tip. The longer you allow your engine to heat up, the warmer the air that is emitted into the cabin of the car. Your safety is also a big factor here. Allowing your car to heat up under the hood and inside the cabin of the car allows for your windows to defrost. You may have noticed that if you get into your car and the windows are not frosted over. Although after a few short minutes of driving the insides of your windows begin to fog over. This is because you are breathing warm,moist air into a cold,dry car. Allowing your car to warm up will eliminate this. For your safety and comfort start your car ten to 15 minutes before leaving, and you will thank yourself later when you can see and are not shivering.

2. Wipers up

This is something I just recently discovered myself. When you park your car, no matter if you are in a garage or outside where the elements can get to it, put your windshield wipers up. There are a few reasons for this. The first is for ice free wiper blades. No one likes to try to use their wipers, and all they get is water streaks across their windows due to ice buildup. No matter the quality of wiper this will happen. Second, it helps you be able to clear your entire windshield of any and all ice/snow. When wipers are left down and you remove snow and ice buildup, there is always that little bit under the wipers. This can be a hazard when driving if the ice/snow becomes dislodged. The ice then slides up in to your line of vision causing you to loose site of what you are doing and you may crash. Lastly, it will protect your wiper blades. When scraping your windshield you may forcefully scrape the area around your wiper blades. This may cause the plastic,rubber part of the blade to crack or tear off from the wiper arm. When it's all said and done, taking the extra ten seconds to put wipers up may save you money and even your life.

3. Double up on carpet floor mats

This one is short and simple. Many of you may have experienced getting stuck when it snows a good amount. You don’t want to go to school or work and come out only to find out that you are unable to go anywhere. This tip will allow you to have a fighting chance at being able to remove yourself from this situation. Step one is to assess the situation. Depending on if your vehicle is front wheel, rear wheel or all-wheel drive you will do the following: First, remove the snow behind the wheels that need the traction. In a front wheel drive car it’s the front, and rear wheel it’s the rear wheels. All wheel drive cars do this to the front wheels because there is more weight in the front of a car then the rear. Second, take the mats and put one end as far under the tire as possible. Slowly putting the car in reverse and using the traction provided by the mats will give you a better chance at getting unstuck than just "gunning it" and sinking further.

4. De-Icer is your best friend

Now I know this may seem more like general knowledge than a tip but there is more to it. Of course as winter rolls around we should all consider swapping our standard wiper fluid out for deicer wiper fluid. There are a couple reasons for this. The first is standard fluid will freeze inside the reservoir it is contained in, not allowing for it to be sprayed on your windshield at all. Second, if it has not frozen in the reservoir it will freeze on your windshield if the temperature is cold enough. Driving down the road and having a liquid instantly freeze in your line of site could be very dangerous. The second reason de-icer is your best friend is not for your windshield but for your cars locks. Many of you may like to take advantage of a snow-less spurt in the winter by getting your car washed. In doing so most everyone does not thing about what this does. Not only can it freeze your doors shut but it can also freeze your cars locks. Having liquid deicer in a spray can, can save you from getting locked out of your car. Note that if the can is in your car it will not help you. Leave a can at home, work, and/or school just to be safe.

5. The just-in-case category

We all know that even the most cautious and winter-savvy drivers can get into an accident. The one who are prepared for that are the ones who will thank themselves for the just-in-case winter preparedness kits they assembled. Things to pack are as follows but not limited to: a shovel, blanket, tow rope, jumper cables, hand warmers, extra winter clothes, a one to three gallon air tight gas can filled, food, flashlight and a first aid kit. There are many more things you could pack for your own personal comfort, but these are seen as the basic things that you will need if you are stranded for a long period of time.

An additional item to add to this list could be a road side service membership. You may never need it, but if you do it could save your life!