Every winter drivers should take active steps to protecttheir car from road salt.

Road salt is necessary for safe transportation when snow andice accumulate on roads and highways and cause dangerousdriving conditions.

Salt was first used in the 1930's in snow and ice control tomake roads safe and passable by creating a lower freezingtemperature of the water. It is the most available andcost-effective de-icer. It is easy to store, handle, andapply.

Some 15 million tons of de-icing salt is used each year inthe U.S. and about 4-5 million in Canada.

Salt keeps snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and toallow snowplows to remove accumulations quickly andefficiently.

Studies show that salt use reduces accidents by 88%.

Washing your car during wintertime is one of the best thingsyou can do to maintain the value of your car. Mud, salt,rain, sleet, and snow can damage your car's clear finish.Mud and salt caked on the undercarriage promote rust,especially in older vehicles, and can also affect how wellyour car drives.

To prevent winter damage, it is recommended that you washyour vehicle every 10 days. Wash your vehicle whenever thetemperature is 40 degrees F. and above. Do it during theday so that it dries completely before freezing eveningtemperatures begin.

Immediately after washing the vehicle, open and close alldoors, the trunk, and other parts of the car with locksseveral times before parking it to prevent locks fromfreezing.

Always wash your car right after a snow or rain shower.Rain and snow collect pollutants in the air and drop them asacid rain which can damage the cars protective finish. Snowand sleet also include the corrosive road salt.

Wash the underside of your car often during the wintermonths in car washes that do not use recycled water.

Avoid driving through large puddles of standing water whichis saturated with road salt.

Any paint chips that are larger than the tip of a pen shouldbe taken care of immediately.

Wax your car at least every six months. Put a good heavycoat of wax on your car before the winter storms hit. Thisheavy coat will protect your paint from the corrosive saltand cold temperatures.

More frequent waxes are needed if your car is red, black orwhite because these colors are more susceptible to acid rainand UV rays.

When spring time rolls around, treat your car to a good waxjob again. Be sure to remove all road grime and salt off ofthe car before you begin waxing.

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