The scene Monday morning says it all. The best advice in winter weather is to avoid going out.

"The main factor in driving is just slow down and take your time," says Jerry Cantrell of Texoma Driving School.

Plan extra time for a trip in the winter. A trip that might take 30 minutes in May could take an hour on snowy or icy roads.

"Leave yourself an out,? Cantrell says. ?Make sure you don't get pinned up where you can't escape without having a collision."

Leave some space between you and the vehicle in front of you. Follow the three second rule. When the vehicle in front of you passes something stationary like a sign, you should be able to count three seconds before you pass the same object. Know what kind of brakes you have. Your owner?s manual can tell you if you have anti-lock or ABS brakes. It'll make a big difference if you get into trouble. If you have ABS brakes just press the pedal and hold it down.

"Meaning put steady firm pressure on your breaks and continue the firm pressure until your car comes to a stop,? he says.

But if you don't have ABS brakes, you'll have to pump the brakes to keep them from locking up. If you start to skid, turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the front of the car to go.

"Just taking your foot off the accelerator will slow your car down enough to not skid,? Cantrell says. ?It would be better not to put hardly any breaks on at all because once your breaks are applied then you start sliding sideways and that's when you have to correct your skid."

If you're driving an SUV, don't get overconfident. You might get through some spots more easily, but the bigger the vehicle, the tougher it is to stop. If you make a turn too fast, you might roll over.

"But under adverse conditions, such as rain, sleet, snow or poor driving conditions, low visibility such as smoke like we've had with recent fires, and fog, you need to reduce your speed,? he says. ?You can get a ticket for driving the posted speed limit."