Car crashes are common at any time of year, but now that holiday traffic is starting to pick up, you may see them more often. On top of busy traffic during the holiday season, you may also see an uptick in crashes due to weather. Cold, rain, sleet and snow combine to reduce visibility and potentially make slick roads that are difficult to maneuver.

Since you have to get to work every day regardless of the road conditions, there are some things you can do to keep safer during this busy time of year. By taking some proactive steps to keep your vehicle in good condition and to prepare for the drive ahead of you, you can stay safer. Here are three tips to follow to make it more likely that you’ll reach your destination in good health.

1. Give yourself extra time

Whether it’s snowy outside or you’re dealing with busy traffic conditions around a local mall, you need to give yourself more time to get where you need to go. A good habit to get into is to give yourself twice as long to get to your destination. Is it normally 10 minutes to work? Give yourself 20. Is it normally an hour? Try to give yourself two, just in case you hit traffic or have to maneuver through poor weather conditions.

2. Make sure your vehicle is in good shape

The next thing is to make sure your vehicle is in good shape. If you are going on a longer drive, fill up your gas tank, check your tire pressure, make sure your brakes are working well and generally look over your vehicle for any issues that could cause problems on the road. Breaking down will ruin any plans you have, and it can also hold up traffic.

3. Take a winter-driving course

Another good idea is to take a winter-driving course before ice and snow cover the roads. Winter-driving courses are wonderful, because they teach you how to brake better in icy conditions, what to look out for with windy, blizzard-like conditions, how to correct fishtailing and other important information.

These are just three different tips that can help you stay safer this year when you’re trying to negotiate the winter weather and heavy traffic. With the right preparation and knowledge about these conditions, you can take steps to prevent accidents and keep yourself safer.