Winter driving season has begun in parts of the region but before the weather takes a turn for the worst, auto shops are busy with people making sure their cars are ready.
“Me being safe ensures other people’s safety on the road too,” said Jason McTaggart, who took his vehicle in to get winterized.
Jason McTaggart waited Tuesday morning for his vehicle to get ready for the winter roads.
“It’s like an automatic thing that hits my head, like November, snow’s coming, get it done before the snow gets heavy,” said McTaggart.
He got everything looked at to make sure he’s safe to drive.
“They change my tires, oil change, check light on — see what’s going on with that and diagnose the problem,” said McTaggart.
McTaggart isn’t alone. Mike Sementilli at Master Mechanic in Ajax says at this time of year, business really picks up.
“We’re seeing an average of about 25 people a day and that will probably be the trend right up until Christmas, but we get through. We never get out on time that’s for sure, so we get in early, get out late,” said Sementilli.
It’s so busy, Sementilli is already booking appointments into the middle of next week.
Tires should be changed when the mercury hits 7 C.
That’s the main reason people are bringing their vehicles in now but Sementilli says there’s much more to get ready for the elements.
“All of the levels, the belts, the hoses, we’ll look at the brakes, the tires. You want to make sure the antifreeze is strong, you don’t want to run into an overheating problem especially this time of year, could cause a lot more serious problems,” said Sementilli.
But one of the most important things to do is actually right in front of your face.
Janice Beattie brought her vehicle in to get serviced, as she’s thinking of her precious cargo.
“I think it’s important. I do a lot of driving and I have grandkids that are in the car at times, so these are the priorities that I have,” said Beattie, who took her vehicle in to be winterized.
As for McTaggart, his vehicle is ready to hit the road this winter, keeping him, and other drivers, safe.