Snow and ice cover the roads and your teen still wants to drive. Keep yourself and your young drivers safe with these driving tips for bad weather.
Make sure the family car is ready for bad weather driving
- Do a safety check on the vehicle: check your battery, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, windshield wipers, headlights, tire pressure, etc.
- Keep emergency supplies in the trunk or back of truck
- ice scraper and snow brush,
- at least 25 pounds of road salt or cat litter to add weight and use for traction,
- flashlight, extra batteries and warning flares,
- extra gloves and blankets,
- first aid kit, jumper cables, candles and matches,
- protein bars and other non perishable snacks, water, and a cup to melt snow when the water is gone.
Bad Weather Driving Tips
- Remove snow from the wipers, headlights and taillights when cleaning the vehicle.
- Make sure the headlights are on. This makes it easier for other cars to see you. If you are driving in fog, the high beams will make it worse. Turn on the fog lights.
- Slow down, and increase your following distance — if you're going slowly because of bad weather, do you really want to be close to the car in front of you?
- Use caution at intersections. Just because you have a green light doesn't mean others are going to respect it and sliding cars may not be able to stop.
- Use caution on overpasses. Overpasses freeze quickly.
- When traffic is slowed down, there's a reason. Don't zip in and out of the lanes.
- Keep two hands on the wheel and all times. Actual hands, not the palms resting so that you can text.
- If the vehicle begins to slide, don't slam on the brakes. This may cause the car to spin. Gently tap the brakes and turn in the direction of the skid until you are able to stop the car.
- If you get stranded, call for help, but stay with the vehicle. Run the heater for short periods to keep warm. Make sure the tailpipe is clear to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Parents can review the Missouri Safety Tips for Young Drivers with their teens. It might be a good idea to print these guidelines and post them on the refrigerator or under the key rack. The safety tips discuss seat belt safety, texting, and tips to avoid distracted driving.
Parents can also contact the Missouri Driving School to help teens learn the art of defensive driving.
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