With more than half of the year being void of winter weather, it can be easy to forget how to properly prepare yourself for the inevitable winter storm in the region.

What You Need To Know

  • Take it slow and leave plenty of extra space between you and other vehicles

  • Leave plenty of extra time to get to your destination

  • Prepare your vehicle in the event of an emergency

Everybody can use a refresher on how to properly prepare when it comes to driving in winter weather.

First you need to make sure that your car is ready ahead of the winter months. This includes checking your vehicle's battery, windshield wipers, tires and windshield washer fluid.

If you plan on using winter tires on your vehicle, make sure to get them put on well before winter to get used to how the vehicle handles with them.

What is inside your vehicle is just as important as what's on the outside when it comes to winter weather and possibly dealing with an emergency situation. You'll want to make sure to always keep blankets, a flashlight, flares and of course a snow brush and shovel in case your car gets stuck.

You never want to leave the house in bad weather with a low tank of gas. It's important to fill the gas tank to at least half full prior to the storm.

These tips help keep you safe, but you want to always make sure to keep other drivers safe by completely cleaning of your vehicle of snow. This includes the top so that it doesn't fly back and blind other motorists.

The best way to stay safe during a bad winter storm is to stay home. If you must hit the roads, you want to make sure to drive slowly and leave plenty of space between yourself and other drivers.

The best way to avoid skidding is to accelerate and deccelerate slowly when starting and coming to a stop. When going uphill, it's best to just keep moving as trying to gain momentum on an incline at a full stop can be very difficult.

Again, if you must leave your home during a winter storm, it' very important to know the weather forecast, the topography of your route and know possible other routes to your destination in case of closures.

Taking extra precautions should not just occur during the winter months. Safe driving should always be a year-round occurrence.

This includes always wearing seatbelts and having children secured in the proper seating.