Living in the Great White North has its challenges.

In a Canadian rite of passage, drivers have to contend with ice, sleet and snow every year.

But it seems that some drivers ignore some important rules that keep our roads safer in severe wintry conditions.

“You never know what could be under the snow – it could be ice,” Professional Driving Instructor Robin Buck told CTV’s Canada AM on Friday.

Buck provided Canadian drivers with an essential winter driving safety checklist:

 

  1. Get winter tires. They offer increased traction, confidence and control in wintery conditions.
  2. Drive slowly and smoothly. Carefully accelerate and brake -- if you do skid -- steer into it and gently reduce speed.
  3. Leave plenty of room between cars. Try to leave up to 10 car lengths (four seconds) – even more for SUVs which are heavier, and therefore require more room to stop.
  4. Don’t drive in the wheel tracks of another car – compressed snow is actually more dangerous.
  5. Don’t use cruise control – it can actually speed up your vehicle while you are skidding.

For more tips, visit Transport Canada's comprehensive online guide for safe winter driving.