The milder days of spring are a perfect time to do a thorough spring cleaning and perform home maintenance. After a long winter, it is a good idea to spend time on preventive measures to help maintain your home and property throughout the year. Tasks such as cleaning out your gutters, checking for dead trees and branches and cleaning and inspecting home mechanical and plumbing systems, such as heating and air conditioning equipment, can help make spring a season of safety.

Cleaning and maintenance of your home should be done inside and out. Although the tasks are different, checking to see if all the elements of your home are in good working order can help keep your family safe and your maintenance expenses lower over the long run.

[Updated January 10, 2022]

Last week's winter weather resulted in multiple crashes on state and local roadways. Driving safely on wintery roads depends on driver performance in winter hazards, good vehicle maintenance, and common sense. "Weather" the winter with these tips for you and your vehicle. 

Prepare your car for winter driving conditions.

Before you head out in wintery conditions, prepare your vehicle:

• Keep windshield and windows clear.
• Keep a snow brush and scraper in your vehicle at all times.
• Your car's defroster can be supplemented by wiping the windows with a clean cloth to improve visibility.
• Check your exhaust pipe to make sure it is clear. A blocked pipe could cause a leakage of carbon monoxide gas into your car when the engine is running.
• Don't warm up your vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage. This can cause toxic carbon monoxide to build up.
• Monitor the weather conditions before beginning your trip, not just at your departure point but also at your destination. If it seems like the roads will be too hazardous, say if an ice storm, hurricane, tornado, flood, hail, or other severe weather is expected anywhere on the route you are taking, change your travel plans.
• Allow extra time to arrive at your destination. Trips can take longer during winter than other times of the year, especially if you encounter storm conditions or icy roads. And driving in inclement weather is stressful enough without the added pressure of being late, which might cloud your safe driving judgment.

Drive with extra caution.

“Failure to keep in proper lane or running off the road” and “driving too fast for conditions” are the two of the most frequent poor driver behaviors, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Bad weather makes these behaviors exponentially more dangerous, so take additional precautions on the road.

Get Ready for Snow and Ice

A winter storm is in today's forecast. With that in mind, we’ve sent the following tips to your customers this morning. We hope everyone stays safe and warm. Know that we are here should you or your customers need assistance.

For Your Home

• To prevent frozen pipes, set your thermostat to a warm temperature. If you're leaving town, set it to no lower than 65 degrees.
• Make sure you have working flashlights, nonperishable food items and water in case you lose power or the storm keeps you house-bound for more than a day.
• Stay indoors during the storm and follow these tips to avoid snow shoveling-related injuries.

On the Road

• Snow can accumulate quickly, creating slick conditions. If possible, avoid driving during the storm.
• If you must drive, be sure to stock your vehicle's winter roadside emergency kit with all the essentials including snacks, blankets, a windshield de-icer, a spare phone charger and flare lights. Check your oil and antifreeze levels.
• If there’s even the slightest threat of snow in the forecast, keep your motorcycle off the road, properly stored and winterized.