When you have OnStar, you’ve got 24-hour peace of mind. That’s especially helpful for you snowbirds who travel to warm climates for the winter. You know that if you need Roadside Assistance⁽¹⁾ or Emergency Services⁽²⁾, OnStar is only a button push away. On your trip south, Turn-by-Turn Navigation⁽³⁾ can be especially helpful when you’re visiting unfamiliar areas. Knowing that you can get directions to anywhere you need to go, anytime, helps make traveling a more stress-free experience. Plus being able to keep in touch with loved ones — no matter where they are — with Hands-Free Calling⁽⁴⁾ provides you with plenty of peace of mind, too.

Here are a few tips and reminders to help make your travel time away from home worry-free:

• Turn the heat down and set programmable timers for lights and the TV.
• Unplug any appliances you won’t be using.
• Lock all windows and doors, including the inside garage door to the house, and place steel bars in slider doors.
• Give a trusted friend or neighbor a key and ask them to check your house periodically.
• Tell the police when you’ll be gone and when you’re returning.
• Arrange to have the snow cleared from your driveway and sidewalk.
• Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway periodically.
• Add motion-sensor security lights outside.
• Make sure your gutters are cleared of leaves and debris before you leave to help prevent ice dam damage.

Plus:

• Don’t forget to take your tax documents if you’ll be gone past April 15.

• Make a list of emergency contact numbers and prescriptions and give a copy to a family member.

Are you heading to warmer climates this winter? Or do you wish you were? Tell about it in the comments section below.

1 Roadside service provided by Cross Country.
2 Visit OnStar.com for vehicle availability, details and system limitations. OnStar acts as a link to existing emergency service providers.
3 Requires ABS and Directions & Connections Plan. Visit onstar.com for coverage map. Services vary by model.
4 Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations.

‘Tis the season in many parts of the country for snow, sleet, wind, hail and ice. Which all add up to plenty of hazardous driving conditions over the next several months.

Here are a few tips to help you get safely through another winter driving season.

Do:

• Tell someone where you’re going and what time you should be there
• Check your wiper blades, fluids, tires and lights
• Make sure all your windows, headlights and taillights are cleared of snow
• Give yourself extra room to stop — allow at least three times more space between you and the vehicle in front of you than you normally would
• Drive with extra care on bridges and overpasses, which may be icy in cold weather
• Watch for black ice on shady sections of the road, especially in the early morning or evening

Don’t:

• Let your fuel tank get low
• Use cruise control on icy roads
• Hit the brakes if you start to slide on ice; instead take your foot off the accelerator and gently steer into the direction of the skid
• Get overconfident if you drive a four-wheel-drive truck or SUV. Four-wheel-drive won’t make a bit of difference on ice

Emergency supplies for your vehicle:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Blankets and an extra coat, gloves, hat, pants, socks, boots
• Bottled water and nonperishable food (hard candy, energy bars, etc.)
• Flares
• Shovel
• Sand, salt, kitty litter or traction mats
• Empty can, matches, candles
• Jumper cables
• Paper towels
• First-aid kit

If you get stuck in a storm:

• Don’t panic
• Stay with your vehicle
• Push your OnStar button and tell the Advisor your situation
• Run the engine for a few minutes periodically to keep warm while you are waiting for help to arrive, but make sure the tailpipe is clear of snow first and crack the window open slightly in case of any carbon monoxide fumes

For more winter driving advice, visit:

Driving in Snow and Ice
Winter Driving Tips
10 Tips for Winter Driving
Safety Tips: Winter Driving
Are You Ready for Winter Driving?

If you were stranded in your vehicle during a storm, what’s the No. 1 thing you’d want to have with you? Tell us in the comments below.

I just want to let you know how much I LOVE OnStar! I would never personally purchase a vehicle for my use without it.

I have a 15-year-old daughter who plays on a travel softball league, and I cannot tell you how many times OnStar has helped us get to games when we had no idea where we were going.

Last month, OnStar took us to the East Coast National Softball finals in Maryland, where my daughter’s team placed third. Many times, teammates say, “Follow Mrs. Jacobs because she has OnStar!”

I am totally confident getting to where I need to go with OnStar, and I just wanted to say thank-you for both the technology that makes OnStar the phenomenal product that it is as well as the people who are behind the product. I never feel like I am ‘out there alone’ as long as I can push that OnStar button!

— Laureen Jacobs, OnStar subscriber

Have your own OnStar experience? Share your story.

They hit the OnStar blue button for help — it was the first time they had ever needed it — and spoke with an OnStar Advisor. OnStar quickly sent Roadside Assistance⁽¹⁾ to where the two couples were stranded, thanks to the built-in GPS feature.

“My parents were back on the road, safe and sound, within the hour,” says Matthew, who lives in Bethesda, Md. “The service really delivered peace of mind to them and to me.” Matthew says his parents drive a lot and he’s glad to know OnStar is there for them. “You don’t want any family member alone on the road, facing a difficult problem, especially at night,” he adds.

But the service from OnStar didn’t end when the tire was changed and the couples were on their way once again. Shortly after his parents reached their home, “they got a call from the OnStar Advisor, asking if they had made it home OK,” says Matthew. “I’m a bit of a cynic. I often hear OnStar radio ads with stories that sound too good to be true. But my parents are a real-world example, showing that OnStar delivers as promised. They have incredible focus on the customer.”

The calming presence of having a live Advisor for his parents to talk with in a stressful situation was especially reassuring to them, Matthew says, adding that their Advisor stayed on the line with them until help arrived.

Matthew says he was truly impressed by the personal attention his parents received during and after their time of need and how easy the service was to use. He was also relieved that his parents didn’t need to rely on a cell phone for help, since getting clear cell service is not always possible in every area.

Sometimes the best way to appreciate OnStar’s great customer service is to see it in action. Win and Lenore Gerson received the OnStar Directions and Connections service for six months when they purchased their new car and their experience has sold them on the service, says their son. “Not only did you make a customer for life, but knowing my mother, she has told every retiree in Palm Beach about her story!”

Have your own OnStar experience to share? Submit your story here.

1 Roadside service provided by Cross Country.