Now that we’ve hit January and many areas have experienced their first snowfalls of the winter, it’s time that people start thinking about how to stay safe on the roads, especially when they’re in poor conditions. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured each year in the U.S. in vehicle crashes on snowy, icy, or slushy pavement. Let’s start making a collective effort to bring those numbers down this year.
Driving in bad weather can be tricky for anyone, but even more so for young drivers. John Jones, Drivers’ Ed instructor of 22 years, mentioned in an interview that he’s been in 3 major accidents during Drivers’ Ed where the car was totaled. The most recent incident was in 2019 when he was with a teenage girl who slid into a semi-truck while driving on snowy roads. No one got hurt, but there was lots of shattered glass and the passenger-side door caved in. Jones stated, “It was pretty traumatic; I just closed my eyes and waited to see what would happen. We were shaken up, but everybody ended up being fine.”
Jones continued to say that he would advise young drivers to slow down and not get into a hurry. He instructs his Drivers’ Ed students to stick to what the lessons tell them to do and not overestimate their driving abilities.
Many people don’t realize that driving can be difficult even after very light snowfalls. Lydia Georgick, a sophomore at ADM, discussed her experience of driving on mildly snowy roads for the first time. Georgick stated, “I was trying to stop at a stop sign but then my brake wouldn’t work and I started sliding and getting really close to either sliding into the highway or into the stop sign…it was a new feeling of not being able to stop and knowing there’s nothing I could really do.”
Georgick said that her best piece of advice for driving in snow is to not accelerate too quickly or slam on the brakes. She also passionately stated, “Don’t go fast, I don’t care if there’s 10 people behind you…just go slow.”
The last person I interviewed was Dominick Zolkiewicz, a junior at ADM High School. He got into a car accident late at night in early December. He was driving on gravel and slid on ice into a ditch. The car proceeded to roll over and caused Zokiewicz to dislocate his kneecap which put him in a brace and on crutches for weeks. Luckily, he was by himself in the accident and there were no fatalities or worse injuries.
When asked about his best piece of advice for driving in winter weather conditions, Zolkiewicz stated, “Brake way before you need to and try your best not to drive at night, especially on gravel.”
Along with those very insightful pieces of advice, here are a few more key tips to follow when driving this winter:
- Do not use cruise control on unclear roads; this handy feature won’t react as quickly as a human driver to sudden changes in road conditions.
- Clear your vehicle’s windshield, rear window, side windows, roof, and headlights of snow. This will increase your visibility, which will decrease your chances of getting in a crash.
- Always wear your seat belt (both in clear and harsh driving conditions). Wearing your seat belt will keep you secure in your seat and help prevent you from flying out your windshield if you do get in an accident. This small strap could save your life.
Keep all this information at the front of your mind as you get from place to place in the next couple of months. Remember that your well-being is a high priority and there’s no need to risk your life over stupidity and carelessness. Stay safe this winter.
