Keller @ Large: How To Handle Snow

BOSTON (CBS) - It has been awhile since we saw snow here in the Boston area. But you knew it was coming, the weather forecasters told you it was coming, and sure enough, Monday morning, there it was, coating the car and the driveway.

I'm sorry I didn't get out my annual reminder of how to handle snowfall in time for this season-opening event, especially since I saw on my drive to work how many of us apparently needed their memory refreshed.

So here goes.

First of all, snow has a funny effect on roads and highways - it makes them slippery. So, a quick pop quiz - what do you do on a slippery road to be safer? Why, slow down of course. Yes, you may get to your destination a few minutes later than normal, but that seems a small price to pay for securing your safety and that of your fellow drivers.

Secondly, you can't just hop into your snow-covered car and drive off. Driving blind is unsafe, and assuming the wind will blow the snow off your windows as you drive is not an acceptable substitute for fishing the snow brush out of the garage and spending the two minutes it takes to wipe them all clear. This is a pet peeve of the police who will stop and ticket you if they catch you, and you will not likely get a jury's worth of public sympathy to rally behind you.

And while we're on the subject of clearing snow off your property, don't forget your share of the sidewalk. No, it's not enough to clear the driveway and the path from it to your door. Unless you like the idea of baby strollers and schoolkids being forced into the street.

If these pointers seem obvious, yes, they are. All the more dismaying that we have to remind anyone about them.