{"id":28530,"date":"2025-09-23T16:54:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T20:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/?p=28530"},"modified":"2025-09-23T16:54:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T20:54:54","slug":"winter-driving-tips-its-the-holiday-season-and-our-kids-are-driving-on-icy-roads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/23\/winter-driving-tips-its-the-holiday-season-and-our-kids-are-driving-on-icy-roads\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Driving Tips: It\u2019s the Holiday Season, and Our Kids are Driving on Icy Roads"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s the night after our Thanksgiving Dinner (Saturday is our traditional day for Tgiving in order to accommodate everyone\u2019s plans) and I\u2019m on the couch \u2013 almost in a total stupor from a turkey hangover \u2013 and the phone rings.It\u2019s not a mom\u2019s worst nightmare, but it\u2019s close. I hear my 18-year-old son, CJ, go \u201cmom, it\u2019s a blizzard, I can\u2019t see more than a foot or two in front of my car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cj, because he\u2019s an 18-year-old boy, is, of course, invincible. And, he has more of a sports car when mom would have rather he drove a tank (or at least an old International Scout).<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard that saying about your blood running cold, but this time I got to feel it and began planning to go put the tire chains on my truck and begin the nightmare track on Wyoming roads in a snow storm to get my baby.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, he was at a town and could see a motel up the road, so we got him checked in and I was finally able to draw a deep breath when I knew he was snuggled safely in a Super 8. It took two more days, but he did finally arrive back at school in one piece (insert a heartfelt thank you prayer here!).<\/p>\n

Of course I\u2019ve tried to teach all of my kids how to drive safely in bad weather. How to get out of a skid, to wear their seatbelts, to not text and drive, etc. But the most important thing I\u2019ve pounded into their thick skulls is when to have enough sense to just STOP. You know, that point where going on, no matter how badly you think you need to get to your destination, is simply suicidal.<\/p>\n

\u201cCJ, you can\u2019t take your test if you\u2019re dead.\u201d\u00a0 Ya know, simple little life facts like that. And, while having my youngest child out on the lonely roads of Wyoming in an unforgiving snow storm was terrifying, I just had to breathe a prayer of thanks that although he hadn\u2019t had enough sense to check road and weather reports before leaving, he HAD had enough sense to know when going forward in those conditions was way beyond his skill set.<\/p>\n

Since we\u2019re smack in middle of the holidays, and I know there are hundreds of thousands of parents who, just like me, nearly hold their breath when their kids are coming home or going back to school on winter roads, I thought I\u2019d provide some winter driving tips. I know our kids think they\u2019ve heard it all, and maybe they have \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean they remember or that they listened the first 157 times.<\/p>\n

If they\u2019re giving you grief like \u201cmom, I KNOW!\u201d, just tell them that Jesi knew too. Jesi was a beautiful, talented and very much loved redheaded 16-year-old who turned in front of a van and lost her life. She wasn\u2019t a bad driver \u2013 she just had a couple seconds where her mind was somewhere else and now she has all of us, her family, her friends \u2013 living with a huge hole in all of our lives and hearts. And every year there are thousands of Jesi stories and thousands of families left with a grief I wouldn\u2019t wish on my worst enemy.<\/p>\n

So, on to the tips \u2013 make the kids read them \u2013 heck, tattoo them to their arms!<\/p>\n

Driving in Snow and Ice<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you\u2019re familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner\u2019s manual for tips specific to your vehicle. For more information on how to prepare your car for winter driving, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Driving safely on icy roads<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.<\/li>\n
  2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.<\/li>\n
  3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.<\/li>\n
  4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.<\/li>\n
  5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.<\/li>\n
  6. Don\u2019t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.<\/li>\n
  7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.<\/li>\n
  8. Don\u2019t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you\u2019re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.<\/li>\n
  9. Don\u2019t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.\u00a0Four and all-wheel drive vehicles will not stop or steer better in icy conditions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Tips for long-distance winter trips:<\/strong><\/p>\n