Portage la Prairie's extreme weather, with an example from our recent heavy snow, necessitates adherence to some important tips to keep in mind to help you avoid a serious accident.

"The number one message would be to drive to road conditions," says Manitoba Public Insurance spokesperson Brian Smiley, "meaning, reduce your speed. On Monday we had 650 collision claims opened. That follows the bad weather on Sunday. Having said that, a lot of those collisions happened a couple days earlier. But we do know there were collisions attributed to the blowing snow and heavy snow on Sunday."

He explains clear visibility is vital, particularly during bad weather. This includes clearing off your headlights, windshield, and side windows. Smiley says far too often many motorists simply jump in their vehicles with a small peep-hole to see through, when a simple five-second effort can clear it for them.