Driving in Trying Conditions: Preparing Your Teen for Driving in the Snow
Safe driving takes precedence over everything else when driving through snowy weather, and your teen will need to be fully aware of this fact. Keeping the speed low in areas of lesser visibility and making sure they are ready to reduce the speed further or take their foot off the gas pedal when necessary is essential.
Also, it’s important for them to understand the differences between snow tires and regular tires and to use them to their advantage in difficult situations. For example, when starting to lose control of the car, it’s easy to panic and hit the brakes, but that will often just cause the vehicle to spin out of control. Instead, a gentle spin of the wheel in the opposite direction and simply taking their foot off the accelerator can help steer the car back on track and avoid the danger.
Other important tips include preparing for driving in cold weather and dealing with the cold. Even the best cars will not have perfect climate control, and everything from the steering system to the clutch will feel different when the temperature gets closer to zero.
Finally, responsible driving practices, such as avoiding the practice of risky overtaking maneuvers and driving patiently behind slower cars when the conditions don’t allow for safe overtaking should be stressed more than usual in bad weather and on snowy roads. Also for extra measure have your teen attend one of the Denver driving schools to learn seasonal driving safety.
