I remember the first time I ever had to drive in the winter.

I was a cashier at Wal-Mart, and I was scheduled to work during an evening shift.

This was one of the scariest things that I have ever done.

I wasn’t excited to have to drive to work in these wintery conditions, but at the same time as a college student I

needed the job and the money that came with it.

One of the reasons why this day was so scary is that on my way to work I lost control of my vehicle, and almost hit

another vehicle whose passengers included small children.

Luckily, by the time I finished spinning out I had avoided them.

The sad truth is that many employees must drive into work when weather conditions aren’t ideal, and so there are

additional risks that each and every driver must be aware of in order to avoid becoming another statistic.

With that said I would like to share some tips with you in case you are ever in this situation.

The first tip in driving in the winter applies every other day of the year, and that is to avoid driving while fatigued.

Driving while fatigued is already dangerous enough, but when road conditions aren’t ideal driving fatigued can be

much more dangerous.

The next tip is to make sure that your gas tank is always at least half full.

The last thing that you want to happen is your vehicle die due to a lack of gas.

The best case scenario for running out of gas in this situation is that you have to have your vehicle towed, and

must wait in the cold.

The worst case scenario is you driving and then losing control of the vehicle due to the sudden stop and the

slippery roads.

Another tip to follow when driving in the winter is to avoid using the cruise control function in your vehicle if you have

it.

By using the cruise control function of your vehicle you increase your chances of getting into an accident due to the

slippery conditions of the road.

The next tip is to not stop when going up a hill.

I learned this out the hard way.

The reason to avoid stopping while going up a hill in the winter is that with poor road conditions your vehicle’s tires may not be able to get enough traction, and you could end

up rolling down the hill backwards.

However, with these tips drivers can reduce their chances of getting into an accident if they must drive during the

winter and the road conditions that can occur.