If you live in a part of the country that experiences regular snowfall in any real amount, you've no doubt had to drive home from work while the white stuff comes down. I have lived in both New York and Georgia. I can tell you that there is a huge difference in your snowy driving experience. As we all know from the snowstorms of 2014, Georgia and its drivers aren't prepared for snow or ice. New York is a different story.

At the firm prediction of a snowstorm the roads are pretreated to avoid a slippery layer of ice forming at the first precipitation. The plows start to roll quickly and within an hour of the last snowflakes the roads are completely passable in most cases. A day later all you see is blacktop with very tall snow banks to the side. Nonetheless, anytime you find yourself forced to drive in winter weather requires care and a mind for safety. 

The biggest mistake most drivers make is an overconfident trust in their equipment -- their vehicle, their AWD system, their traction control, their snow tires. All of these things are important when driving in winter weather, and each of them plays a real part in maintaining control of the vehicle. But in the end, the biggest factor is your driving ability. Here are some tips to keep in mind when driving in snow or ice. 

1. Drive slowly! I can't tell you how many accidents could have been avoided had drivers slowed down to half their usual travel speeds.

Don't worry about being 30 minutes late to dinner. The two hours you spend trying to get your car out of the ditch will be far worse.

2. Allow four times the usual distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. The extra distance will not only give you a longer distance to stop, it will give you more time to make a decision if things get ugly in front of you. AAA recommends up to a 10-second lead time between you and the next vehicle.

3. If you have ABS, let your braking system do its job. Don't try to pump your brakes or perform any tricky braking maneuvers you learned from your grandfather's driving days. Your antilock braking system is your best bet in getting your vehicle stopped in as short a distance as possible. 

4. Don't kid yourself with snow tires. Yes, snow tires give you an increased level of control when driving on ice or snow. Yes, snow tires will help to keep you from getting stuck on a snowy or icy hill. But snow tires do not turn you into the superman of winter driving. We've worked on many cars that were pulled out of a ditch -- or worse yet out of the bumper of another vehicle -- because a driver thought that snow tires were able to somehow guide his car down the road like a magic carpet. Snow tires are great, but they can't work miracles in the face of irresponsible winter driving. 

5. Don't kid yourself with all wheel drive or four wheel drive. AWD systems do a great job at getting your vehicle moving from a standstill, and can even help maintain control of a moving car across a snowy road, but it can't help you stop. Here in the Northeast there are scores of Subaru and Volvo drivers who think they rule the road with the winter capabilities of their vehicles. But they stop just like a 2WD Lexus. 

Remember to keep safety at the front of your mind when driving in snow or ice. If you don't need to be on the road, stay home. Always carry a winter emergency kit with you when traveling, even a short distance.