7 Totally Common Winter Driving Mistakes You Can't Afford To Make

Winter's coming, which means it's a good time to brush up on our winter-driving skills. 

Here are 7 common mistakes you've got to avoid to stay safe on the road:

1. Driving fatigued: You've got to make sure you're rested before you hit the snow-wrought highway--and no, an extra Red Bull won't keep you awake and alert enough to be attentive.

2. Running on empty: It's 6:30am, you're rushing out of the house for that early breakfast meeting, and realize you barely have enough gas to make it. Not smart. You don't want to risk being stuck on the side of the road with an empty gas tank; or, under really cold conditions, the little remains of gas freezing up in your tank. 

3. Being unprepared: When on extended trips, or highway commuting, it's important to have a good safety kit in your vehicle, replete with flashlight, candles, blanket, water, and some snacks. You don't want to be stuck on the side of the road without something keeping you warm, and food fuelling you up--especially if you have to dig yourself out of a snow bank.

4. Hit your breaks: This is a real no-no, and yet it's a common reaction to a swath of break lights ahead. Even with ABS brakes, your vehicle can slide on ice. Try to reduce your speed slowly, rather than jamming your foot into the brake.

5. Driving too close: It's astounding to me how many people tailgate in poor road conditions--how will they have time to stop or avoid a collision in front of them? Give yourself some good distance between you and the vehicle in front of you--8-10 seconds is a good general rule. Be mindful also of the vehicle behind you and how close or far away it's driving. It's not the time to prove a point by hitting your brakes to back a tail-gater off.

6. Speeding: It's easy to project driving habits from the summer and fall onto winter roads, and make like Mario Andretti along the 401--not wise. A general rule of thumb is to drive according to road conditions: if the highway is under icy conditions, then driving 130 km/h in the left-hand lane may not be the best decision.

7. Leaving home unnecessarily: If the weather's bad, and you don't need to go out, just stay home--the pizza can be delivered, and that 6-pack can certainly wait till road conditions are better. If you must go out, then really take your time and make sure you're well prepared.