Now that you've gotten your vehicle ready for winter, you're ready to hit the snow-covered streets, right? Are you sure? How about a little refresher of important things to remember when you're driving in the winter?

Stay informed.
Check the weather forecast before you leave – for both your morning and evening commutes. You'll want to be prepared for any mid-day weather shifts.

Exercise patience.
Remember, everything takes longer when you drive in the winter – from scraping and clearing your car to driving to your destination. Leave yourself enough time to get where you’re going.

Leave enough space.
In the summer, the three-second rule for minimum distance between you and the car ahead is a good one. For winter, try a six-second rule. This give you more time to react in an emergency situation.

Take a practice run.
If you haven’t driven in winter conditions in a while, or feel a little tentative, take some time and practice your winter driving when you’re not under any time pressure. Find a safe locale (an empty parking lot) and practice starting, braking and turning.

Be seen.
In the limited visibility season of winter, you want to be seen. Make sure your lights are on – even if you have automatic or day-time running lights, turning on your regular headlights is a good idea as they are often brighter and will enable other drivers to see you more clearly.

What’s your favourite winter driving tip? Let us know in the comments!

~ Rose R.