If winter has not yet arrived yet…it will, eventually. Road conditions can be extremely tricky when temperatures hover around or below freezing. Roads can often mask slippery conditions, and drivers can easily make mistakes that may lead to accidents.

The first step to safe winterdriving is to prepare your vehicle. Reliable transportation is especially important in the winter. Not only should you keep your vehicle in top operating condition all year round – for safety and fuel economy, it is especially important to get it winterized to avoid any unpleasant or dangerous situation while traveling in frigid weather. The next step is to stock your vehicle with winter car supplies that can assist you in case of an emergency. You easily can equip your vehicle with essential gear for winter.

Avoid driving while you’re fatigued. Getting the proper amount of rest before taking on winter weather tasks reduces driving risks. Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage. While driving in snow or ice accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads. Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly. The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop. Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.

Lastly…stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can.

The Hyundai Elantra and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque on Monday were named North American Car and Truck of the year by a panel of independent automotive journalists after the opening ceremonies of the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The Elantra beat out the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Passat as finalists for the car of the year.

John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai North America, said Hyundai has sold more than 200,000 Elantras since the new model was introduced. Krafcik said the award will help to cement Hyundai’s reputation for quality and improvement the company has made since it entered North America 1986. The Elantra, which was designed at Hyundai’s California studio, is a compact car that gets 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The 2012 Tucson CUV secured a spot on Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Award Top 10 list. Kelley Blue Book, the leading provider of new and used vehicle information, announced the vehicles expected to best retain their value over the next five years.

Kelley Blue Book’s annual Best Resale Value Awards recognize current and forthcoming vehicles for their projected retained value throughout the initial five-year ownership period. Since depreciation (or loss of value) is typically a car buyer’s primary expense during ownership, these awards are designed to help consumers make more informed car-buying decisions.

“Tucson does an excellent job of artfully combining state-of-the-art safety features, design and affordability, allowing it to retain a high value throughout the course of ownership,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Product and Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Hyundai is proud to offer its Trade-In Value Guarantee as part of Hyundai Assurance and this program is made possible due to the strength of Hyundai vehicles’ residual values, like the Tucson.”