The official arrival of winter signals snowy and gloomy weather. Many teens are experiencing their first winter-season driving. Snow and rain can be a dangerous thing for anybody, especially inexperienced drivers. In the beginning stages of driving, many drivers feel the sensation of freedom for the first time, and they think they are in their own world and would never have anything bad happen to them. Then, they get too comfortable, and, boom, they crash.
The average car crash is caused by someone between 16 and 21 years old – basically by young and inexperienced drivers. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), more than 150,000 crashes occur annually due to icy roads, and 70% of the roads in the United States run through snowy areas.
Many people also don’t follow the “rules” of driving when snowing: no passing, no tailgating, no brake checking, nor excessive acceleration. Any of those broken rules puts everyone at risk. A driver cannot stop as quickly, or even at all during snowy weather, and often cannot accelerate because of the snow. When passing someone, it blows snow onto the adjacent car, putting it at risk of spinning out of control.
Fortunately, there is plenty of advice that student drivers and drivers of all ages can take to help them prepare to drive in the snow or during the Winter. When starting the car, the first thing to do is let the car warm up before going anywhere. If the car is too cold and you try to drive, the engine will get hot too fast and you may blow a head gasket or a rod in the engine which would cause significant damage.
Additionally, when it’s snowing, turn on headlights and fog lights to increase visibility to others. When turning, do not aggressively accelerate or decelerate because it will cause tires to change rotation and lose grip. Do not brake or speed up when going downhill, or you will be in the same situation as trying this when turning. When near other cars, make sure to be at a safe distance. It is important to be safe while driving and keep everyone else safe too.
