The love gurus at SGI have come up with some road safety tips that can double as advice for your love life.

“We figure this is timely, as some people might be planning romantic road trips for the long weekend, or, if a relationship has progressed, a family getaway during the kids February school break,” said SGI’s Media Relations Manager Tyler McMurchy.

One of the things that they advise, for both people who are heading onto the road or into a relationship, is to take it slow.

“Moving too fast can be dangerous. Wherever your relationship is heading, if it’s really important or special, it’s worth it to take things a little slow,” said McMurchy. “And, when dealing with winter driving conditions, remember to adjust your driving speed to match the road conditions even if it means driving lower than the posted limits.”

Their next piece of advice is to give somebody space.

“For a relationship to be healthy, it’s natural for both partners to have some time to themselves for their own interests and crowding someone on the road isn’t good, either,” he said. “Never tailgate. You should always follow a minimum of three-to-four seconds behind the vehicle ahead, and increase your following distance if there are poor road or weather conditions.”

He said they also advise holding them tight.

“There’s nothing quite like a loving embrace to make someone feel safe and secure. It’s the same feeling you get from a properly secured seatbelt,” said McMurchy. “So buckle up, turn on a seat warmer, and it’s almost like being spooned!”

Okay, maybe that’s a stretch.

“Seriously though, you need to wear your seatbelt,” he urged. “It’s the quickest, easiest thing you can do protect yourself and others sharing a vehicle with you in the event of a crash. And make sure any children in the vehicle are safe and snug with the appropriate car seat or booster seat.”

It’s also important to pay attention to what’s important.

“Any relationship will have a few bumps in the road, but if you keep your head up and focus on what really matters, you’ll be able to see those rough patches coming,” he said. “When you’re behind the wheel, you need to focus on just driving, so you’ll be ready for anything in your path, like pedestrians, other vehicles, or wildlife. So put down your phone, or hand it to your passenger, and avoid other distractions while you’re driving as well.”

Being safe is also great relationship advice, but it applies very well to driving.

“If your Valentine’s Day (or weekend) plans involve sharing a bottle or two of wine in front of a roaring fire, or maybe you’re heading out for a hot date with dinner and cocktails, nothing puts a damper on a romantic evening quite like a being pulled over by police or having your vehicle impounded,” said McMurchy. “If your plans involve alcohol or drugs, don’t drive. Plan a safe ride before you go out. If you’re impaired, call a sober person to come pick you up. Or, hey, maybe you can stay the night!”