Goal: Teach your teen to drive safely in adverse weather conditions.

Location: Begin in a large, level, mostly empty area. Move to quiet neighborhood streets, busier multi-lane roads, urban areas and freeways when you feel your teen is ready.

Before driving in winter:

• Prior to the beginning of winter, visit your mechanic for a tune-up and other routine maintenance.
• Check the weather, traffic and road conditions. Avoid rushing and allow plenty of time to reach your destination safely.
• Consult your owner’s manual to see if your vehicle has an antilock brake system. Learn the proper braking procedure for your vehicle.
• Make sure your vehicle is completely clear of snow and ice before driving. Driving can cause snow and ice to slide and block your view or fly off and strike other vehicles. In Michigan, you can be ticketed if snow and ice fly off your car and obstruct the view of other vehicles.
• Be sure to check the tread on your tires. Replace them if the tread is too low.

☐ Skill one – driving in snow

• When starting to drive in snow, keep the wheels straight. Accelerate gently to avoid spinning the wheels.
• Decrease your speed to make up for a loss of traction. Accelerate and decelerate gently. Be extra careful when braking.
• Stopping distances can be up to 10 times greater on ice and snow. Begin the slowing-down process long before a stop. Try to brake only when traveling in a straight line.
• Look ahead for potentially dangerous spots, such as shaded areas and bridge surfaces that may be icy even though the rest of the road is clear. Bridges and overpasses freeze before other road surfaces due to the air flowing underneath them.

☐ Skill two – safety around snowplows

Snowplows use distinctive flashing lights to warn you that snow removal operations are underway.

Don’t Crowd the Plow!

• Give snowplow drivers plenty of room to clear snow from the roads. Snowplows often throw up snow clouds, reducing visibility on all sides of the truck.
• Plows are wide and can cross the center line or shoulder.
• Don’t tailgate and avoid passing, especially on the right. Motorists attempting an illegal pass through a snow cloud on the right and/or shoulder of the road most likely won’t see the plow blade and run the risk of a serious crash.
• Watch for sudden stops and turns. A snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they don’t always see you.