Everyone wants to stay safe on the roads, and there’s plenty you can do to prepare when winter storms are on the way. One priority is preparing your vehicle.

To keep yourself and your family safe on the roads this winter, run through this checklist:

• Tire Check: Do they have enough tread? If not, it may be time for new tires, possibly snow tires.
• Air Pressure: Keep tires filled up for better handling on slicker roads. Adding a bike pump to your trunk may be useful.
• Keep Inside: Blankets, small shovel, snow brush and phone charger for emergencies.
• Car Washes: Getting your car washed regularly can prolong its life. Thursday would be a good day for that with the warm weather.
• Wiper Fluid: When you're stuck behind a big rig kicking up salt and slush, you don't want to be without this.
• Fuel Levels: Keeping enough gas in the tank is important in the winter time to avoid engine freezes.

Mechanics are handling a lot of customers right now. One shop manager says some locations are booking out two to three weeks in advance.

“Sort of kind of late right now, with the holidays coming up, a lot of people are driving, a lot of people are depending on their vehicles. Right now is very late in the ballgame to get an appointment, though some places can squeeze you in," said Jeffrey Voss, shop manager at CARSTAR Carmasters Collision West.

Voss says aside from tires, other big repairs right now are brakes and coolant.