WACO, Texas (FOX 44) — Now is the time to bundle up and take those safety measures on the road as cold and icy weather moves into Central Texas.

For those making work or everyday outings in the cold weather this week, preparedness is key to staying safe and in control behind the wheel.

One of the most important things you can do according to Central Texas Driving School Owner & Director Tanya Dansby, is to take your time.

“Initially, we just encourage people to stay at home, if at all possible. If not, always leave a good following distance behind that person in front of you because you need to recognize that your tires are not going to respond as quickly as they would in normal conditions,” shared Dansby.

You can do things like going below the speed limit, detouring from bridges and overpasses due to their nature of freezing over faster, avoiding the use of cruise control.

When you’re in your car, limit distractions such as music and radio, texting, and talking on the phone.

General Manager of Kish Complete Car Center David Derosier, spoke to the importance of familiarizing yourself with your vehicle and how to avoid this common mistake…

“No hot water near anything that is frozen. Whether it be a door handle or the door gasket just to seal it. Definitely not near the glass. It will shatter a windshield, shatter a door glass when you take hot water and hit that cold glass,” shared Derosier.

Another important thing to keep an eye out for is your tire pressure that may drop this week. You can check your cars optimum tire pressure on the inside of the drivers door side.

Both vehicle experts recommend getting up in enough time before work to defrost your car doors with cold water, allowing time to heat up your car, and to drive slow.