Once snow or ice does arrive, take some extra time to make sure your car is clean and your visibility is good.

Clear off the entire car, not just a little peephole in the windshield. You need just as much, if not more, visibility in poor conditions because you have to keep your eyes peeled for pedestrians, and every other knucklehead on the road. Make sure every glass surface is clear and transparent by using a snowbrush and/or ice scraper. Your side-view mirrors, and all all lights should be brushed and cleared as well.

Now, if you haven't been smart enough to do so already, clean the snow off the rest of the car. Why? Because the rest of the snow will either (A) slide off the roof and cover your windshield as you're slowing down; or (B) fly off onto someone else's windshield and causing him or her to smash into you. That's not enough of a reason? Fine. Here's another: (C) it's the law in many states that your vehicle must be clear of snow and ice.

Clean your headlights. Even if you think they don't need it.

It goes without saying, that if your headlights are covered with six inches of sleet, you're not going to be seeing much past your hood ornament, nor are oncoming drivers going to see you as well. Salt, sand and other wintry crud can dramatically impair the effectiveness of your car's headlights, even long after the last snowstorm. Whether you're planning on driving at night or not, take a moment before every winter trip to clean off your headlights. At home, we suggest you have a squeegee or paper towels stored in your garage, so you don't have an excuse not to wipe the film off your headlights, before you take off. When that last remaining wooly mammoth runs out into the middle of the road some night, you'll thank yourself.