With the first official snowfall coming through Central Iowa recently, a Dallas County official shares important reminders about winter driving safety.

Dallas County Emergency Management Coordinator AJ Seely tells Raccoon Valley Radio that people should try to avoid driving in adverse icy or snowy conditions. He does recommend vehicles having tires with new treads, a good working vehicle  battery, and lots of windshield wiper fluid. Seely highlights that ice scrappers come in handy, but advises that people take the time to clear the whole window section.

“And actually scrapping the window all the way. A lot of times, people will just scrap themselves a little path, that’s not good enough. You got to get the whole window, you should really get all the windows, so you can see all the things happening around you, and make sure that we’re driving safely.”

Other winter driving tips that Seely stresses include traveling at slower speeds for better vehicle control, increasing following distance to the vehicle in front of you, avoid using cruise control on the highway, and not to use high beams when snow is falling because the reflective light can backfire on the driver, causing temporary blindness.