New Driver? 6 Winter Driving Tips To Help Keep Them Safe
Your first instinct may be to keep teen drivers at home when winter weather hits, but this may not always be possible. Prepare them ahead of time. Give them some tips for driving in snow and ice. Here are 6 winter driving tips to keep your new driver safe on the roads.
Winter Driving Safety Tips For Teens
1. Get your car ready for winter.
Make sure that your car has all the necessary winter equipment. Be prepared for cold temperatures and bad driving conditions. Here’s what you need;
- keep your washer fluid full
- carry a shovel
- store an emergency kit
- keep an ice scraper/brush in the car
- check your anti-freeze
- change to winter wiper blades
- mount winter tires on all four wheels
“All-season tires or summer tires are going to harden up at about 45 degrees,” says Kurt Spitzner, an instructor at Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. “When the rubber hardens up, you lose your grip on the road, even in the best of conditions.”
Winter tires are designed specifically for the rubber to stay soft and pliable and grip the road, even in extreme temperature conditions where it reaches 20 below zero.
A handy rule of thumb: If the air is cold enough to see your breath, you should have winter tires on your vehicle.
2. Understand winter road conditions.
Everyone must anticipate that less-than-ideal road surfaces will result in reduced grip, and drivers will need to brake earlier. “For a new driver who just got his license in April, that driver has become accustomed to driving on a nice dry surface with perfect grip,” says Spitzner. “Now you may be suddenly faced with less-than-perfect road conditions and grip.”
3. Drive for conditions, not posted speed.
An obvious winter driving tip is that getting around in winter can take longer, so adjust your speed to conditions instead of trying to[…]
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