New drivers bring about both worried students and parents, especially with harsh weather conditions. Being prepared for the worst and practicing safe driving is very important in the winter.

  “I was driving and I lost control and somehow ended up 300 feet in a cornfield. I have front wheel drive, but [driving in bad weather] does not make me nervous,” Michael Zubeck (11) said.

  It is important to keep a scraper in your car and know how to control the settings, such as heat, defrost, gear shift and windshield wipers. Waking up earlier and allowing time to defrost one’s car in the winter can help make driving conditions less dangerous.

   “The first time it snowed, I was driving to my friend’s house and I turned the corner. I have rear wheel drive, so my car didn’t turn, and I went straight into a yard and got stuck. I ended up having to drive through the yard and I think I left tire tracks, but I got out and I made it there. It took me 30 minutes to get there when it usually only takes five to get to her house. I have to keep weight in the back of my car to help me drive, and I keep jumpers too. I have cried because I know I will spin out,” Devon Kelley (11) said.

  Slippery roads mean car tires will have less traction, and that increases the possibility to spin out, so drive slower and be careful.