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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Sometimes we get busy and we forget to get our car ready for the cold weather.

    
There are a few small things you can do that can make a big difference.

    
First, you want to make sure you can see the road when you're driving if the weather gets bad.

So, Jeremy Chaumont, a mechanic at Tires and Tailpipes in Kirksville, said you definitely want to make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition.

Also, check to make sure you have wiper fluid, and that your defroster works properly. Chaumont said it is important to check your tires as well.

“(You) definitely want to check your tires and make sure they have good tread,” Chaumont said. “And, (make sure) they’re not weather cracked and they're holding air.”

He said during the winter, you can have your tire pressure about three to five pounds heavier then what the recommended weight is.

Chaumont said the most important thing to check is your antifreeze. If the mixture is off, your cooling system should be drained and refilled or flushed.

During the winter months you never know if you might get stuck in the snow, or stuck in an emergency situation, so you might want to prepare an emergency kit to place in your trunk.

Some items you can put in it are:

• a blanket
• extra clothes
• water
• food
• jumper cables
• a spare tire with air
• a first aid kit
• sand/salt
• a flash light
• an ice scraper