SGI is reminding drivers to practice safe habits amidst changing winter weather conditions.

With the temperatures hovering around zero, roadways are more slippery and slushy than usual.

Heather Hubic, SGI Media Relations Director, says it’s important for drivers to give themselves room to stop behind another vehicle.

“One of the things that we’re really encouraging drivers to do is to increase their following distance. Making sure you have plenty of time to stop between you and the vehicle in front of you. Sometimes it’s unclear on just how icy those roads are. So making sure you have plenty of time to stop by increasing that following distance can help make sure that you avoid those rear end collisions.”

Hubic says that drivers should double their following distance while driving in less-than-ideal conditions.

“In ideal conditions, when you know the roads are clear and safe, it’s a three second following distance. When those conditions are less than ideal, we ask that you increase that to six seconds. Making sure that there’s plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you can really help make sure that you can anticipate what’s coming up and stop accordingly. Even the best drivers need to increase their following distance in order to avoid a collision.”

SGI reports that rear end collisions from November to March make up for 16 per cent of all collisions in the province.

Along with practicing safe driving habits, Hubic says there are a few things drivers should bring along with them before going somewhere during the winter.

“Make sure you have a snow brush, an ice scraper, a shovel in your vehicle, so you can clear your windows and get unstuck if you end up in a situation where you need to dig out. Also pack an emergency kit, that can include things like warm clothes, maybe a blanket, traction mats, booster cables. All of these things can help make sure that you are prepared when you hit the road. A very great resource in the province of Saskatchewan is the Highway Hotline. This can help make sure that you know what those road conditions are before you head out.”

The Highway Hotline can be found at cjwwradio.com.