(December 23, 2017) ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The holiday season is here — and so is the snow. All Star Driver Education is here to help you navigate the icy roads this winter. Whether you're packing for a holiday trip or you're simply looking for tips on driving this winter, here's some tips that you might not have thought of when preparing to hit the roads.

What to check before you drive:

    • Engine coolant (a mix of water and antifreeze), because in the cold, the water will freeze when the engine is not running, rendering the cooling system useless. To help avoid this, the mix of antifreeze is important to a happy and functioning coolant system.

    • Oil level, which in the winter, it's suggested you change the viscosity of your oil to be thinner.

    • Windshield wiper fluid.

    • Tire pressure and tread.

Once you've started up your car, here's some tips for driving on icy or snowy roads:

    • Check out the braking distance to get a feel for the roads before you first start driving.

    • Take turns slowly.

    • Do not accelerate fast and drive slower than you usually would.

    • Never use cruise control if the roads are bad

    • Pay extra careful to the car in front of you and leave yourself enough braking distance.

    • If it's dark and snowing hard, check if driving with your brights off helps with visibility.

    • Bulky coats and sweaters can impact your ability to drive, so it may be best to take them off.

    • When pulling out into traffic, leave yourself room seeing as you can't accelerate fast and oncoming cars can't slow down easily.

    • Avoid driving distracted or tired, seeing as this impairs your reaction time to handle dangerous weather conditions.

In a scenario that you were stuck on the side of the road with no assistance, here are some small things you should keep in your car as an emergency that will help you get out.

    Flashlight
    First aid kit
    Charged phone
    Ice scraper
    Gloves and warm clothes
    Blanket
    Small bag of sand and/or kitty litter to help you out of a snow bank
    Snacks

"December is National Impaired Driving Prevention month, which aims at reducing the number of drunk, drugged, or distracted car accidents and deaths. But December is also the peak of winter in many states, and that means it's also Winter Driving Awareness month in my book. Let's work to keep our roads and families safe this holiday season," said Social Media and Marketing Manager, Alex Lazarou.

Each year, more than 116,000 Americans are injured and over 1,300 are killed on snowy, slushy or icy roads. AAA predicts that 107.3 million Americans will take planes, trains, automobiles and other modes of transportation to travel during the holidays from Saturday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Jan. 1. This will be the highest year-end travel volume on record, so take it slow and easy and avoid unnecessary collisions by driving safe.