Safe Winter Driving Tips

WENDY TEPFER,
DIRECTOR COMMUNITY PARENT CENTER
PHONE: 516-771-9346 FAX:  516-771-9356 E-MAIL:  cpc1260@hotmail.com  

Frigid temperatures, snow, ice, sleet and rain:  when the weather changes, so do the driving and road conditions.  Winter weather driving is a challenge for any driver, even those with years of experience. For new teen drivers, it can be extremely scary and incredibly dangerous when the roads are covered with ice and snow.  In a typical year, winter weather is directly or indirectly involved in 400,000 vehicular accidents in the United States, leading to 1,300 fatalities.   The Community Parent Center urges parents of new teen drivers and those who are first learning to drive this winter to teach them winter driving tips to help them navigate the snowy and icy road conditions safely.  Make sure to review the basic safe-driving procedures with teens:

• always wear seatbelts - everyone
• no cell phones or texting
• avoid all other distractions
• limit the number of passengers
• restrict night driving
• no alcohol or other drug use
• keep eyes on road/hands on wheel
• obey all traffic signs and laws

  Tips for Safe Winter Driving:

1. Check the car teen drives to make sure it is in good working condition
2. Check road conditions
3. Slow down – reduce speed at least 10 mph to accommodate road conditions
4. Increase following distance – allow 3 times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you
5. Break slowly -  slamming on brakes can cause skidding and loss of control of vehicle
6. Accelerate and decelerate slowly – helps keep traction
7. Never use cruise control – always be in control of car
8. Steer into a skid - if car starts to skid, steer in the direction of the skid, slow down gently, do not slam on the brakes
9. Do not spin your wheels if stuck in snow – rock back and forth slowly
10. Adjust driving to accommodate the conditions - response time of your vehicle to stop and start is reduced with snow and ice on the road
11. Keep a winter survival kit in car – flares, blanket, snow brush & shovel, flashlight etc

Safe winter driving is an important life lesson Remember: Winter conditions call for a different kind of driving than normal weather: slower speed, slower acceleration, slower steering, and slower braking.   When driving in the winter, use common sense and follow the suggestions above to help keep you and your teen driver be safe and prepared.   ###### Established in 1988, the Community Parent Center is Bellmore-Merrick’s resource center for quality parent and community education programs addressing safe teen driving, substance and alcohol abuse prevention, bullying/ harassment and youth violence prevention. The mission of the Parent Center is to provide parents and families with education, resource information and the support they need to raise resilient children who are safe, confident, non-violent and drug-free. The Parent Center is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization, underwritten by private donations, grants and legislative appropriations.  Information about programs and educational materials can be obtained by visiting the Community Parent Center Website at www.communityparentcenter.org, or by calling (516) 771-9346.