Life After the
DMV
Developing winter road skills.
by Scott Kuhne
TWEENS & TEENS News November 2007
You thought the toughest part about driving
was nabbing that license, huh? Get past the
written test, followed by the road test, then
you’re home free. Not exactly.
At some point, that same road you’re
so free on becomes plagued with snow. And
sleet. And ice.
And then you start hearing those dreaded driver’s
ed-type statistics, such as how one in five
16 year olds crash during their first year
of driving. Or how 77 percent of all 16 year
olds crash due to a driver’s error.
Or that little ditty about auto-related accidents
being the leading killer of teens.
Believe this much: With snow on the horizon,
it’s not the time to hear “we
told you so” from your folks. Here are
some tips to help you keep that license—
and stay alive this season.
Always slow down before bridges and avoid
sudden changes in speed or direction. It can
be easy to forget that bridges and overpasses
are in the air and not attached to the ground.
Did you know, they’re going to be the
first to freeze? It’s a long way across
each bridge and overpass. Be sure to keep
a steady and safe speed across those suckers.
Windows work best when you can see out of
them; keep windows clear and frost-free. On
blustery days, run your front defroster and
turn on the air-conditioning. Don’t
laugh— following these silly-sounding
directions removes moisture that fogs your
windows and vision. Also, crack your windows
to allow dryer air to enter the car. The cold
air may be uncomfortable, but so is a neck
brace.
When driving in the snow or ice, keep your
speed steady and slow. Steady speed and momentum
is better than spinning the wheels. Ever pulled
a 360 in your Mom’s Honda? Not fun.
But don’t drive too slow, either. You
don’t want your car getting stuck in
deep snow.
Avoid abrupt braking and use your brakes
cautiously. Stomping down causes brake lock-up
and a loss of steering control. Plus, doing
so may prompt the soccer parent with the SUV
and cell phone to crash into your rear end.
Anti-lock brakes, when working correctly,
are a safety feature. They don’t allow
you to slow down quickly— just safely.
They give you more steering control. If you’ve
got anti-lock brakes, apply constant firm
pressure to the pedal. During an emergency
stop, push the brake pedal all the way to
the floor if necessary, even in wet or icy
conditions. However, don’t pump the
pedal! You’ll feel the pedal pumping.
Leave your foot on the brakes and let the
brakes do the work.
If you get stuck in snow, straighten the steering
wheels, put the transmission in a low gear
and then accelerate slowly. Try not to spin
the tires. If the tires spin, just ease off
of the gas slightly. To gain additional traction,
pour sand or put towels or rocks under the
front of the tires.
When driving in the snow, do everything slowly.
Driving in snow, sleet and ice is treacherous.
You might maintain control of your car, but
not everyone else may be able to. Trusting
drivers around you to drive responsibly is
like copying multiple choice answers from
the slacker in your algebra class. You’re
on your own out there— don’t ever
get lulled into a false sense of security.
Do everything slowly and gently. Remember,
in the snow, tires barely grab the road. Accelerate,
turn and brake slowly and gently. You’ll
need to learn to anticipate turns and stops.
Also, leave plenty of distance between you
and the other cars. Rapid movements lead to
skids and loss of control. Be light on your
feet. Use those pedals as if there were eggs
on the bottoms of your boots.
Here’s something you won’t hear
often: If you’re severely nervous about
driving during wintertime, with a parent’s
permission, go to an empty parking lot and
try sending the car into little skids on purpose.
Nervous about driving or not, most of you
teens are likely up for this. Slam on the
brakes and practice turning into the skid.
See what happens and how it feels. Do it until
you’re comfortable regaining control
of the car. Doing this in a large and empty
parking lot allows you the luxury of skidding
without eventually looking into the eyes of
seven different EMTs. The more comfortable
you are with maintaining and regaining control,
the better a winter driver you’ll be.
If you’re in the midst of a snowstorm
that you can’t escape, while you wait
for a tow truck, get out of the car occasionally
to remove snow from around the tailpipe. This
keeps the pipe unobstructed. The alternative
is like getting clogged up after Mexican food.
No bueno. Run your car for 15 minutes and
then shut it off until you get too chilled
to handle. Run the car again for 15 minutes.
Save the gas and save your life. Remember:
Tailpipe clear, have no fear. Crack your windows
slightly to ensure you have fresh air while
running the car.
Keep your gas tank close to full. You can
take a chance and run down to fumes during
the summer. In the winter, however, if you’re
stuck or stranded, your engine is your only
source of heat. When stranded, you’ll
want to stay warm. You can run the engine
indefinitely at idle to stay cozy, or as long
as you have fuel. No harm will be done to
the engine. But, if you have an old clunker,
crack your window a bit. Yes, your Grandpa’s
Dodge is more likely to suffer from exhaust
leaks and rust holes than a brand-new ride.
This may not be a problem while you’re
driving because the wind removes the exhaust
as you move forward. In contrast, if you’re
sitting for a long time, carbon monoxide could
slowly leak into the passenger compartment—
and let’s just say sleepy time is not
a good time. If you feel sleepy while sitting,
immediately shut off the car and roll down
the windows for fresh air. Better safe than
sorry.
Keep your windshield washer reservoir full.
On a snowy or otherwise bleak weather day,
you can easily go through half a gallon or
more of windshield washer fluid when trying
to keep your view clear. Therefore, it’s
a good idea to keep extra fluid in the trunk
in case you run out. Spring for the good stuff.
Stay away from the already-half-frozen gunk
outside the gas station. Even if you buy the
good stuff, if you live in a very cold area,
you also may need to supplement your windshield
washer fluid with some concentrate.
Scott Kuhne is the producer of Road Skillz,
a revolutionary driving skills DVD that incorporates
real-life situations, CGI animation, popular
music and re-enactments of crisis situations
to effectively teach teens and novice drivers
how to handle roadway risks. Kuhne has raced
at a professional level in the 2002 Baja 1000
and has participated in racing in both the
SCCA and Porsche racing programs. He is currently
a certified high-speed driving instructor
and teaches teen driving clinics in conjunction
with the BMW Car Club.
