Campaign: Turn Back Clocks, Winterize Cars

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--A national publicity campaign is encouraging drivers to winterize their cars as they turn back their clocks this weekend.

Many people do not realize that their vehicles need maintenance in preparation for winter, according to the National Car Care Council, which reports that 83 percent of cars in a voluntary campaign failed part of an inspection of brake fluids, coolants, windshield wipers and other basics that become so critical this time of year.

“We should be preparing our cars for what can be a dangerous and costly driving season,” according to the NCCC.

“The national mindset for when we turn the clocks back is to check the batteries in our smoke alarms to be sure they’re safe,” said Dave Lundell, lead producer for Yahoo! Autos. “We also should be checking the safety of the vehicles we’ll be driving with our families.”

The Car Care Council says auto maintenance neglect contributes to $2 billion in annual repair expenses. More than 2,600 deaths and nearly 100,000 disabling injuries occur each year because of car neglect, it reports.

Yahoo! Autos at http://autos.yahoo.com reportedly has objective tips about maintenance and winterization, covering topics such as coolants, batteries and tires: Find out what should be included in a winter emergency kit.