Safe Winter Driving With the 2017 Lexus GX 460 Luxury

During the holidays, more people are on the road than at any other time of the year. People are out shopping for holiday presents and groceries for holiday meals, and some people are traveling to and from visiting family and friends. Some people travel for vacation during the holiday season when they are out of school and work. Whatever the reason you are traveling, here are five safe winter driving tips to follow this holiday season, along with a look at the 2017 Lexus GX 460 Luxury.

1. Service your car before your trip

If you’re going long distance, take time to service your car. In fact, even if you’re only traveling around your area, it’s a good idea to get a winter service on your vehicle. Have it checked for fluids, tire pressure, and anything else that might be going on that can cause a breakdown on the road. It’s especially important during the winter months. You don’t want to be trapped on the side of the road with a breakdown in cold or snowy weather.

2. Don’t overpack your car

This is especially important if you’re traveling to see family and bringing food, gifts and other items with you. Don’t pack your car so tightly that you can’t properly see out the back, or your windows. This becomes a driving hazard and it’s more likely you will have an accident. To ensure safe winter driving, remember to pack lightly on the way there if you know you are bringing things back with you.

We got to try out the 2017 Lexus GX 460 Luxury on our recent road trip to Washington, D.C. and luckily, it was spacious enough that overpacking just wasn’t an issue. The trunk was huge and I loved how the door opened left to right instead of up and down. It’s one of those special touches that made the car feel so unique. The third-row seating was another plus: perfect for those unexpected car pool situations that can arise for families like ours.

3. Drive safely

Don’t follow other cars too closely, be extra cautious in stop-and-go traffic, and don’t drive aggressively. Be prepared for more people on the road and leave early, giving yourself plenty of time to arrive to your destination. Understand that there will be more vehicles on the road, traffic jams will be more common, and it might take you longer to get to where you are going. Don’t speed and avoid tailgating, especially on snowy or icy roads.

One of my favorite features of the 2017 Lexus GX 460 Luxury was the Blind Spot Monitor. It’s designed to detect and warn you of vehicles approaching or positioned in the adjacent lanes. This helps reduce the likelihood of colliding with a vehicle in your blind spot when switching lanes.

4. Pay attention to the road conditions

This goes along with safe winter driving, but is an important point on its own. If chains are recommended, make sure your vehicle has them. If the experts are advising you to stay off the roads, rearrange your plans so that you are not on the roads when it is not safe. It’s better to arrive late, than not at all. Don’t push your luck or try to drive when it’s unsafe.

5. Avoid distractions

Put down your phone. Don’t text and drive, or talk on the phone while driving. If you need your phone for GPS, have it speak out loud to you, or have a passenger help you navigate. All it takes is one second to look down for an accident to occur, especially during the busy holiday season. Always keep your eyes fully on the road.

The one thing I wasn’t so crazy about with the 2017 Lexus GX 460 Luxury was the GPS system. The maps were hard to read because there were so many different items highlighted on the map. I fiddled for a good 20 minutes with the settings, trying to turn the other info off so that we would only see our route highlighted, but I couldn’t figure it out.

What’s your best safe winter driving tip?

With these safe winter driving tips for the holiday season, you can get to and from your holiday get-togethers without any accidents. Happy holidays!