The snow's already starting to make itself at home in the Rochester area. Are you ready? 

     AAA's Top 3 winter weather driving tips:

  • Go Slow 
  • Increase Space between youself and other vehicles 
  • Brake Smoothly.  (Don't brake and turn at the same time, brake then turn.)

     New York State Police safe winter driving tips: 

  • Keep your vehicle's headlights on during snow and rainfall. The general rule is if your windshield wipers are on, then your headlights must be on.   
  • Avoid using cruise crontrol as it can decrease reaction time when hitting the brakes
  • Be aware of maintenance and emergency vehicles and give them plenty of room

The New York State Department of Transportation offers tips to keep safe on the winter roadways:

  • Have Patience and Drive Cautiously when you come upn a plow.
  • Leave Early and Give yourself extra time to get to your destination.
  • If you don't have to go out, DON'T.

The DOT has about 100 plows in this seven-county region.  The vehicles have oversized plows and salt haulers. 

"When you see the plows out on the roads and out on the highways, which you're going to see in the Rochester region and the major state roads, they go at a much slower rate than the regular flow of traffic," said Jordan Guerrin, a spokesperson for the DOT.  "We travel 35 mph at our plows and that's for the safety of our driver, that's for the safety of other motorist out on the roads, it's also for the effectiveness of the spread of salt that we get. We can cover more area if we're not going as fast on the highways."