ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — As winter starts to ramp up, it’s important you and your car are prepared for the elements. 

We’re just now starting to get our first real taste of impactful winter weather and anyone driving yesterday afternoon may have experienced some of that heavy snow and traffic gridlock.

It only lasted for a short amount of time — but as the frequency of storms increase — there are some measures you can take to keep your car safe and efficient on the roads. 

Some of those include keeping your tires inflated and not letting your tank get below half full. AAA also says to be mindful of your battery when blasting heat and powering the car. They also described a new “first of its kind” battery available that will last longer and help you not just in the winter but in extreme heat too.

“Not only are they better in the cold but they’re also more tolerant to heat and heat is the biggest killer of batteries, so we’re fortunate that we have the spring and the fall where the temperature is mild where batteries like it so tend to get a little more life out of our batteries, and you can think probably 4 or 6 years out of a battery we have and with an AGM we’re anticipating that lifespan,” AAA’s Battery and Emergency Road Services Training Specialist Bryan Jajkowski says.

The new Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries will serve as a suitable replacement for all Enhanced Flooded Battery fitments using the group 47 battery case. While there isn’t anything too new about the battery outside of the way it’s manufactured, it happens to be a group size that now accommodates a lot more vehicles such as Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota, Mazda, even some Subarus, so it opens up the AGM market to more members that didn’t have that option before. Plus, he stresses how important it is that this new battery will have a better lifespan for us in Western New York where you and I both know the weather can vary so much.

Bryan says that because there’s less strain on the battery and they are expected to last longer, there will be fewer instances of having to replace it, and less batteries that end up contributing to waste

As car part shortages continue this may be something worth looking into, and you should check with your mechanic about the status of your current battery just to be on the safe side.