Is it safe to drive this weekend? AAA says to stay home if you can

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — With snow, sleet and freezing rain on the way, AAA is cautioning drivers to avoid the road this weekend if they can.

A winter storm is making its way through the East Coast, and Central Virginia is on the path. Our StormTracker8 team forecasted that some snow will arrive in the region starting on Saturday, Jan. 24, and will transition to sleet and freezing rain in the early morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 25. This freezing rain will quickly freeze into ice.

AAA warned that the wintry weather on the weekend might not be ideal for driving, as "hazardous storms and inclement weather are a factor in an average of nearly half a million crashes."

VDOT preparing roads as snow, ice storm heads for Central Virginia

"Ice and snow can cause significant safety problems by reducing visibility and making it difficult to maneuver or stop," AAA said in the release. "The safest choice is to stay home if it is not essential for you to be out."

Virginians are encouraged to stay off the roads during this winter storm if possible. If you must drive, here are some tips from AAA:

• Check road and weather conditions: Assess the road conditions along your route before you leave.
• Properly remove snow and ice from your car windows and lights so your vision is not blocked, and you don't create a hazard for other drivers.
• Drive slowly.
• Accelerate and decelerate slowly: Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Since it takes longer to slow down on icy roads, you should take time to slow down well in advance for a stoplight.
• Manage a skid: If you lose traction and begin to spin or skid on snow or ice, don’t slam on the brakes. Instead, steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go until your tires regain traction.
• Increase your following distance to eight to 10 seconds.
• Know your brakes: Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
• Don't stop if you can avoid it: If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
• Don't power up hills: Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads gets your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill, and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.
• Don't stop going up a hill: Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.

LIST: Items to include in your car’s emergency kit for winter weather

AAA urged drivers to prepare for when they're stranded on the roadside by keeping an emergency kit in their car. Last year, AAA handled about 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls per week during the winter, per the release.