It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the most deadly time of the year to be on the roads for a variety of reasons. Hurried shoppers looking for last minute deals, drunk drivers who put far too much whiskey in their eggnog at the holiday party, and poor road conditions are mostly what makes things deadly during the holiday season, but with a little bit of street knowledge, one can lessen the chances of being offed before 2017 is here.

To help keep you alive, Ford has put together a short video reminding you of the things you should know if you live in a snowy area and those you may want to know if you plan on traveling somewhere that ice storms are prevalent in the near future. The first is the most obvious: don't make sudden maneuvers including abrupt acceleration, braking, or steering.

Also, forgo the use of cruise control since tapping on the brakes to shut off the system could cause the car to lose traction. Make sure to drive extra slow and keep more distance between cars than usual on bridges as ice tends to form there first. If caught in a slide, turn into it as you would in a drift but don't touch the gas or brakes. If you do need to brake quickly, make sure you watch this rally school's tips for effective braking in the snow since ABS usually doesn't do the trick. Following these instructions doesn't guarantee safety, but they certainly won't hurt you either.