Tag Archives: safety

Helpful Winter Driving Safety Tips

Young woman in snow with carEven though it happens every year, many people need reminders. It’s almost as if we try to block it out of our minds. What am I talking about? Winter driving of course.

Although it begins every year around this time when snow and sleet first appear and cover the roads in southern Ontario, we often see drivers making the same mistakes. So with that in mind, here are a few early reminders to help keep everyone safe on the roads this winter. Continue reading Helpful Winter Driving Safety Tips

Are Your Tires Ready For Winter Weather?

snow_tires_winter_weather-
Despite the warm spells this fall, as temperatures cool across the nation heading into winter, we at Active Green + Ross Tire Centres want to remind drivers that it’s time to start thinking about winter driving conditions and how to protect themselves and their passengers on the road.

While it’s important to adjust driving habits to weather conditions, according to Marc Brazeau, President, Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada,  the most imperative thing Canadians can do to protect themselves and their loved ones is transition to winter tires.

“The idea that all-season tires are as effective as winter tires is a dangerous misconception,” said Brazeau. “The design and durability of winter tires improves performance and enhances safety in a variety of road conditions. They’re the one and only choice for winter driving.” Continue reading Are Your Tires Ready For Winter Weather?

Mounting & Balancing

At Active Green + Ross, we always ensure your vehicle is in top-notch condition, especially with your vehicles WHEELS and TIRES!

 For the proper mounting of tires and wheels, be sure to observe some basic precautions:

  • Mounting and balancing should be done by a professional at Active Green + Ross, using equipment designed for the job!
  • Both tire beads are securely mounted
  • The wheel is not bent or damaged
  • There is no buildup of dirt between the hub and the wheel
  • All of the lugs have been properly torqued
  • The wheel is securely seated on the hub

Continue reading Mounting & Balancing

Seasonal Car Maintenance Schedule to Prevent Spring & Summer Breakdowns

At Active Green + Ross, your regular scheduled maintenance should include a complete multi-point inspection along with an oil, filter, and fluid, brake inspection, tire rotation or balance, alignment check and battery & brake inspection and other filter and fluid replacements.

Continue reading Seasonal Car Maintenance Schedule to Prevent Spring & Summer Breakdowns

The risk of driving on your Winter tires in Summer

Risk of Driving Winter Tires in Summer

Did you know its unsafe to run winter tires during the summer?

According to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, as of 2019, 69% (excluding Quebec where its mandatory) of Canadian drivers own winter tires. With the onset of the pandemic and lockdowns, the average Canadian is driving far less which has led to more and more drivers choosing to leave their winter tires on during the Spring & Summer months.

In this, we want to educate our customers on the potential safety concerns and why you should be visiting Active Green + Ross for either NEW all-season/summer tires, or at the very least changing over to an existing set.

3 MAIN RISKS WHEN USING WINTER TIRES IN THE SUMMER:

CostLongevitySafety

Tire WearTire Wear Information

Tire Wear Information

To find out more, contact your local Active Green + Ross store location or visit our website at www.activegreenross.com TODAY!

With 67 locations Ontario wide, we are the Tire & Service Experts and WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD!

Thank you & Keep it Rolling!

Vehicle Repair Still Deemed Essential for the Government of Ontario Lockdown in Toronto and Peel Region

On Friday, November 20th, the Government of Ontario announced that Toronto and Peel regions will be moving into a lockdown on Monday November 23, 2020. These measures will be in place until December 21, 2020.

The rules are quite similar to what was put into place early on in the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April. The government has established an essential and non-essential services list and any business deemed non-essential are only able to operate online and offer curbside service or deliveries. Retail stores deemed essential are permitted to open for in-person shopping, but will have 50% capacity limits.

These measures will be in place until at least December 21, 2020.

How does this apply to the automotive service centres?

The Ontario government has deemed vehicle repair and manufacturing as essential services in these regions. These members will be allowed to open, but will still need to abide by public health guidelines.

To learn more about how the new lockdown applies to you, please see the document COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open —Lockdown Measures.

Wheel Alignment – A Small Price for a Long Term Investment!

Although there are many other factors that can cause tire wear, such as climate, road surface quality, and your driving style, improper tire alignment is the main cause to irregular treadwear and can cause your tires to wear unevenly and prematurely and can even cause driver assist systems to malfunction. Common irregular tire tread wear conditions from improper alignment include the following: Heel/Toe wear, Feathering, and Camber wear.

If you are experiencing irregular tire wear, handling issues, or an off centered steering wheel, an alignment inspection or correction should be performed. Even without experiencing any indicators of an Alignment related issue, most vehicle manufacturers recommend checking your alignment at least annually or at every seasonal tire changeover and corrected with the purchase of new tires.

Continue reading Wheel Alignment – A Small Price for a Long Term Investment!

Car Seat Safety Tips

Baby in rear-facing Car SeatRaising kids can be a challenge and a lot of fun. Transporting them in the family vehicle can be difficult at the best of times. I’m not sure which was worse; when the kids were little or when they got older. A day never goes by when I hear “shotgun” from one of my kids. They all want to sit in the front seat. However, when the kids are small, it’s every parent’s responsibility to know where the kids should sit, especially in the early years. Keep in mind the middle of the rear seat is safest for any passenger. It’s farthest away from any of the four sides in case of collision.

As many parents do, they keep infants in rear facing car seats for quite a while. The rear-facing car seat helps to support the child’s head and neck if the driver does a sudden swerve, stops abruptly, or is involved in a crash. Since the infant’s neck muscles haven’t built up much strength in those first years, keeping them in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible is the best thing for them. There are some rear-facing seats that can hold children up to 20 kilograms! As long as your child hasn’t outgrown the rear-facing child seat, keep them in it! Continue reading Car Seat Safety Tips

Tips To Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver

Tips To Help Your Teen Be a Better DriverIt’s that time of year when we send our kids back to school, and for the first time, some of them will be driving themselves — and maybe even siblings — to and from campus.

Regardless of whether they’re headed off to a college in another city or state, or just driving to the school across town, we know you want your teen driver to be as safe as possible behind the wheel. Continue reading Tips To Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver

Driving Tips For Students Heading Back To School

back to school teen Driving with Dad

Well, it’s that time again: The kids will be heading back to school and I think that makes many parents very happy. Having four kids myself, I look forward to getting back into a regular routine once again. However, with an older son who now is heading to college, there are a few things that are different with him driving every day versus walking to school each day. If you’re a parent facing the same things, here are a few tips you may want to consider. Continue reading Driving Tips For Students Heading Back To School