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QUINCY, ILL. -- With the falling temperatures and winter storm this weekend, it's very important you take it slow when driving.

Illinois State Trooper Mike Kindhart offers these tips to keep you and your family safe this winter.

Make sure you have an emergency kit or at least emergency supplies in the car, this includes jumper cables, an ice scraper, and extra blankets to keep warm.

Also, make sure all your equipment in your car is working properly.

Have your vehicle checked and see that the antifreeze level is okay, and the battery has a full charge.

Keep your eye on your gas level.

During the winter you should always have at least a half a tank of gas.

And it's usually the first snow of the season that's most dangerous.

"The first snow of the season is always when people aren't - they aren't adapted yet, they aren't ready for the roads to change, and they haven't realized that okay, it's winter time, I need to allow extra time to arrive to my destination safely. So, the first snow and if we have a light snow, people think, oh, well, there's not too much snow out there, I can go ahead and continue the same way I have been driving before," said Illinois State Trooper Mike Kindhart.

Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri's Department of Transportation all have information about road closures on their websites.