We all know how the roads can get in the winter, especially since we live in Michigan. They are icy, snowy, and slippery. The pot holes prove just how bad Michigan winters are.

Unfortunately, many teens do not have the experience or knowledge needed to drive in the winter. For many teens, this will be their first winter driving in the snow.

However, there are many precautions any driver in Michigan can take to stay safe this winter.

Here are some tips for drivers to help them stay safe:

• If the weather is bad, drive slowly.

Nobody will care if you drive slowly. If people do not like how slow you are driving, then they can pass you.

• Put some weight in the back of your vehicles, trucks especially.

Added weight, bags of sand, for example, in the bed of your truck or in the trunk of your car will push your tires into the snow instead of resting on top of the snow. This will help with traction control.

Also, if you get stuck on the side of the road for whatever reason, the sand in the back of your vehicle can help you get out.

Take the sand and dump some around your tires to give them some traction. The traction under your tires may help you get back onto the road.

• Stay three car lengths behind other vehicles, no matter how fast your reaction time is.

You never know when your car may slide and resist stopping, so stay a distance away from other cars. It will give you more time to react and stop the car.

• If you can, avoid driving altogether when it is bad out.

We have snow days for a reason. Snow days are a good indicator that the roads are unsafe to drive on. Even though it’s a free day off of school, staying home is best.

Taking precautions before getting behind the wheel will help you navigate the roads this winter.