Winter isn’t just coming; it’s already here.

And with the winter comes a bevy of bad drivers who think they have the right to speed through the area despite a little snow and ice. After all, it’s Minnesota, right?

Wrong. Accidents are all too common whenever there’s just a little snow or ice on the road, and people need to be aware of the road first and foremost when driving in winter.

The road service AAA recommends more than a few tips for driving during the season, including helpful tidbits like not warming up your car in an enclosed area such as a garage, not using cruise control and always using your seatbelt.

Yet there are other useful tips people should pay heed to, such as:

—Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Everything takes longer on snow and ice-covered roads.

—Know your breaks. The best way to stop is to 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, as stopping and starting takes a large amount of inertia.

—Don’t power up hills. By the same token, don’t stop going up hills.

—Stay at home. If you don’t have to go out, don’t go.

These tips AAA offers are common, and common-sense approaches to driving in the cold. We hope area drivers will take heed and drive carefully this winter.