Winter Driving Tips

Sarah Newton, Editor|December 12, 2017

Hey Nashoba students! Winter time is here, and along with snow comes icy roads and bad driving conditions. Severe weather is both scary and dangerous for all drivers, but teens are especially at risk during this time of year. According to the CDC, “teen drivers ages 16-19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash… Every day 6 people of the ages of 16-19 die in a fatal car accident… In 2013, young people ages 15-19 represented only 7% of the U.S. population. However, they accounted for 11% of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries”. Teen drivers need to be more cautious while they are driving, no matter how good they are at it, as something can always go wrong.

AAA has some tips to be safer driver in the winter time:

Do not use cruise control on a slippery road
Don’t stop if you can avoid it
Drive slowly
Don’t power up hills
The 3-4 second gap should be extended to 6-8 seconds when driving on bad roads
Put winter tires on your car
Keep your gas tank half-full to avoid gas line freeze-up

Other tips from MOTOsafety include keeping an emergency kit in the car, always driving with your headlights on, and if the car begins to skid, put it into neutral. FreeDMV suggests that teens bring an older, more experienced driver with them in the winter to have another set of eyes for assistance.

MOTOsafety is a website with a bunch of information for teenagers about how to be a safe driver. They have a quiz on their website about distracted drivers so you can determine whether or not you are considered a distracted driver. Take the quiz here:

http://www.motosafety.com/blog/16_11_23_distracted.html

Being a safe driver is important all year round, but especially in the wintertime as many different elements are at play. Remember to stay aware and stay safe this winter season, and to remember that even the best drivers can get into an accident.

Citations:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/index.html