10 easy ways to keep your car safe and save money this winter

By: Jessica Wei on December 31, 2024

The beginning of the new year is a time for retrospection, while looking forward to a fresh start. For many, it’s the time to get organized, adopt healthier habits, and pare down on unnecessary expenses. While your car’s health isn’t as important as your mental or physical well-being, it is something that requires routine maintenance and can cost a lot of money and potentially cause bodily harm in a worst-case scenario.

To kick your year into high gear, consider starting with these ten driving to-dos.

1. Install an auto-theft device if you haven’t already

While auto thefts around the country saw a minor decrease in 2024 from previous years, we’re still riding a ten-year high of stolen vehicles – particularly for recent-model SUVs.
If you own one of the most stolen vehicles for 2024 identified by the Equite Association, you should definitely be on high alert for thieves.

One easy way to protect your car – and your own peace of mind – is by making sure you have an auto-theft device installed and updated. Not only will you sleep easier knowing that your car will be safe and recoverable, you may able to save a little extra money on your auto insurance premium, especially if you opt for a GPS tracker such as the TAG System.

2. Review your insurance needs

On the note of insurance, it’s worth taking a good look at your insurance policy to make sure your needs are still met, or that you’re not paying for anything you’re not using. For example, if you’re traveling a lot more for work and find yourself renting cars more often, you might want to add OPCF 27 to your existing coverage instead of shelling out for rental car insurance each time. Or, if you’re driving less than ever before, your broker might suggest you pare back on some coverages.

If you haven’t updated your policy for a while, it’s possible you qualify for new discounts, too – bundling is one low-hanging opportunity to save money, but you may be able to qualify for a senior’s discount or a claims-free discount.

3. Inspect the treads on your winter tires

By now, most people know the importance of swapping in their winter tires every year (…right?). But there’s very little use of going through the motions of changing your tires if those tires are worn down past four millimetres of tread depth.

Some tire companies may say that their tires last up to eight seasons, but you may find that your tires need replacing every four or five years or even less, depending on how long those tires spend on the road. At the beginning and end of every winter season, take a good luck at your treads to make sure they’re still safe to drive.

If you decide to buy a new set for next year, don’t forget to keep the receipt! Insurers in Ontario must provide a winter tire discount for their customers, so you could save up to 5% on your auto insurance premiums.

4. Go over any important upcoming dates and add them to your calendar

It’s easy to completely forget renewal dates until it’s too late – say, when you get pulled over and find out that your licence plate is expired, or you realize midway through your insurance term that you’ve been paying for coverage you don’t need.

To avoid this from happening, spend an hour going over important renewal dates and make a note of them into your calendar – even if you end up just letting your policy auto-renew, the dates are worth knowing.

5. Make sure your emergency kit is up to date

Anything could happen when you’re on the road. However, you can downgrade a disaster scenario into a manageable one just by keeping a few key items stocked and refreshed in your car.

The new year is a great time to go over your emergency kit (or build one, if you haven’t) and add and replace a few key items.

Your emergency kit should include items like:

Clean and dry socks
Work gloves
Extra blankets
A flashlight with fresh batteries
Candles
A lighter with lighter fluid in it
Shelf-stable snacks (make sure the expiration dates haven’t passed!)
A first-aid kit
Spare chargers for your phone
Cash

6. Run over your emergency contacts and insurance contacts to make sure they’re up-to-date

While you’re restocking your emergency kit, go over your emergency contacts and make sure they’re up to date. Cross-check the phone numbers of your closest family and friends with your phone contacts and note any numbers that have changed, and ditto with your insurance contacts.

Keep one copy in your emergency kit and on in your glove compartment in case your phone dies during an emergency.

7. Rustproof your car

The roads can be salty and dirty this time of year, which can really wreak havoc on your car, particularly the frame and undercarriage. To keep your car running longer and better, get your car’s undercarriage oiled to protect it against salt and rust damage every few years.
Read more: Why you should rustproof your car this winter

8. Inspect oil and coolant levels

Unless you have an Electric Vehicle, which doesn’t require oil to run, you’ll want to check your oil level every few months or so – or more, if you’re driving an older car. You should also check your coolant levels a few times a year to make sure it’s at a safe level and not turning brown or overly murky.

9. Check or replace your air filter

Every around the 20,000 km mark, you should also check and replace, if necessary, your air filter – especially if you live in a city with poor air quality or have severe allergies or respiratory illnesses. As cabin air filters and trap and eliminate smog, soot, dirt, pollen, mildew and other pollutants, this is one task that has a direct impact on your health.

10. Replace your windshield wipers

Windshield wipers don’t last forever, unfortunately. Depending on your climate, they begin to degrade between six months to a year. And while it may seem a hassle to go out and replace them so often, you also don’t want to risk driving around with a streaky windshield or, worse, being caught in a bad snowstorm or rain shower with faulty wipers.

It’s recommended that you swap out windshield wipers bi-annually or annually, but between replacements, you should still regularly inspect your blades for signs of wear. To keep them lasting longer, make a habit of wiping your windshield wiper blades and giving your windshield a quick squeegee every time you stop for gas.