TEACHING NEW DRIVERS TO DRIVE IN WINTER

This blog serves as my tips for  new teenage driving parents.  I hope this helps someone find the courage to take your new driver out on snowy roads. Two days ago we had our first snow fall and yesterday we had blowing snow through the cornfields and over the roads. For those that haven't experienced blowing snow across the open fields it makes for ice rink type road conditions. There were several cars and even  a semi truck jack-knifed in ditches around out town. Not all of them were teenage drivers but a few were. The adults knew how to handle it, while teenagers may not have been as equipped for this to  happen. It's happened to almost all of us, and quite often it happens so fast your reaction time is only a second before you find yourself in a ditch.
 
My dad had me pass His test before I could get my license.  The stories you've heard about driving with an egg on the dashboard, are really true with some of us. At the time I thought he was cruel and mean but now I'm so glad he was a bit more strict. I had to be able to turn, stop and start without that egg rolling off the dashboard. He told me the egg wasn't hardboiled and he did not want an egg mess in his car. I did roll it off the dashboard one day and found out he was much  wiser than he let on...he had it hard boiled after all. I also needed to call out the color of every first car in line at an intersection I was either approaching or sitting at a red light with. My kids have the similar rules before they get their license. Winter driving lessons by mom is mandatory.

When our kids are learning to drive they 1. have to learn drive our most difficult car first, 2. They  cannot get their license until they've learned how to handle a car on ice and snow...if they get it before winter, then they don't get to drive on ice or snow until they've passed my test. 3. They have to pass "my test" first before getting their license. I found out that my dad wasn't only right but wise in making me do those "ridiculous things."  

We have a Suburban that I love to drive so very much. It's big, roomy inside, it carries everything we ever take with us anyplace and I don't worry about getting stuck in a ditch or about kids driving it. In the winter it does fishtail quite easily, donuts are super easy to do and the brakes are a bit softer than a car. So when the kids learn to drive the big white monster they get to move onto a car. They find the cars much easier to drive and park and are then comfortable driving any car that's available to them.

My favorite thing to do with them is to take them to an open parking lot or abandoned building lot and not tell them what's going to happen when I tell give them certain instructions.  In the parking lot I let them experiment with speeding up and stopping on snow and telling them to never fight the car. It causes the tires to overcorrect when they get control again and an overcorrection causes another spinout in the other direction. After my "lesson"; my fun begins.  The first time I did this with Kara was on a slick, snow packed parking lot after hours. In the middle of a turn  I told her to speed up a bit, as soon as she accelerated the car started to spin in a complete circle.  She panicked, yelled but controlled the car completely.  Immediately after the car stopped she smacked my arm. I allowed that because, well...I may have deserved it. Then I did the reverse and had her stop fast. She slid and fishtailed but again kept the car under control. I've done this with both older girls and they're pretty good winter drivers. In fact, the first time Kara drove the Suburban she was trying to stop at a downhill intersection and did a complete 360. She called me after it was over and she'd pulled off the side of the road to calm down.  "Well, I survived my first donut and with traffic all around me." Her voice was still shaking and felt so bad for her but was so proud of her too. She said as she was sliding and spinning she saw 2 trucks doing the same thing and one was heading toward her.

Our oldest son gets his Driver's Permit in February and he knows no fear. and I do worry about him enjoying doing the donuts and fishtails too much but he will go through the same steps. Though I've had him on back roads already (ssshhh) and he handled the suburban pretty well for a first time drive.

Even if you don't like driving in snow and slick roads, find a way to get your new driver out in the snow. Ask a friend, ask a neighbor, find an extra driving class for winter...there are options. You'll be doing them and others a service. While you're at it, tell them what do if they do end up in a ditch.  Tell them when to keep the car turned  on, when to turn it off. Keep emergency blankets in your car, tell them where your insurance and registration is kept. Most importantly let them know not to be afraid to call you. They're more important than the car. We know this but their fear often makes them forget that. I stopped to help 3 cars of kids that had been in a fender bender. All three drivers said through tears,  "I don't wanna tell my parents. They're gonna be so mad." I assured them they'll be happier knowing they're okay than they will be mad about the car. 

Enjoy the adventures the snow brings. Take extra steps to keep your babies safe while driving and give them a dose of confidence. They can all use that.