BOISE, Idaho — Winter driving conditions are here, and staying safe on the roads means preparing beforehand.
"We want to do everything we can to help people on the preventative side of things," said Matthew Conde, the AAA Idaho public affairs director.
Conde said that includes getting your car in tip-top shape.
"Making sure that those fluid levels are good, tires, your battery, all too often we wait and treat those things like going to the dentist – we don't want to deal with them," Conde said. "That drip on the driveway, we ignore it, that rattling noise in the engine, but those are the things that ended up being a bigger problem later."
Conde recommends putting an emergency kit or a severe weather kit in the trunk. That kit should have things like a flashlight, first-aid supplies, a reflector, a blanket, extra food and water, and kitty litter or sand for traction.
Robert Fenn, Idaho Driving School instructor, said drivers should always be aware of other drivers' actions. The most common mistakes people make in the winter are overaccelerating or stopping too late.
"There's a transition period you can use if you see a red light," Fenn said. "If it's icy out, you just take your foot off the gas and kind of roll to the light instead of accelerating to the light, and then brake a little before you get to the light instead of waiting to get all the way to the end."
He said people worried about driving in snow or ice should be okay if they pay attention and do not drive aggressively. Various driving schools around the Treasure Valley offer winter driving classes as well.
Conde said the next time it snows, it never hurts to take a spin around an empty parking lot. That way, people can get a feel for how their car handles winter weather.
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