It's a scene repeated every winter. When snow grips the region -- we grip the wheels -- and pray. Pray that our anti-lock brakes will always shorten braking distances. But is it true?

"I agree with that. True." says a guy heading into a store at Dudley Farms Plaza. "It's false" I tell him. "False? Really? Wow. I'm learning all kinds of things today." he says.

"Anti-lock brakes just keep you from sliding, mainly on dry pavement," says Tire expert Steve Ilar with TCI Tire Centers. "On snow, anything can happen." he adds.

Ilar says you have to know how to use them and he shows us the right way.

We hit the road and I'm driving. Steve says, "OK...hit'em....hit'em harder. See, you'll come right to a stop. You might feel a little give, but that's the anti-lock brakes working. It's normal."

Another widely held belief: all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles stop better than two-wheel drive vehicles.

"Not true." says a gentleman at the heading into the Trace Fork Shopping Center in South Charleston. "I think people have a misconception of that and that's why they drive a lot faster when in 4-wheel drive." he says.

He's right.

"They all stop the same as far as that goes," says Ilar. "It doesn't matter if it's front wheel drive, 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive."

And another winter driving belief: all-season tires can grip deep snow and ice.

"It just depends what kind of tires you use in all-season." says Ilar.

But no tire will work on ice. Ilar says when it comes to winter driving, using common sense and slowing down is the best safety measure you can use.

By the way, you should also make sure your tires are properly inflated and have plenty of tread.