Chicago winters can be absolutely brutal. For many parents, our first thought when winter hits the Windy City and one of our kids needs to get to class or go to work is usually: “Do you really have to go out in this?” While we know the answer is usually yes, we also know that we can do our part to help keep our teens safe during the blistering winter weather.
By helping them to understand how the driving environment changes in winter, we can lessen the chance that they’ll need to call one of the leading Chicago car accident attorneys to take their case after a bad accident. Here are some tips to add to your ounce of prevention this winter.
Make Sure Their Vehicle is Prepared
Before temperatures drop, it’s important to make sure their car is equipped with the necessary winter equipment. If your teen is behind the wheel when winter weather hits, they need to know what to do and have the needed tools on hand to handle an emergency.
Ensure your teens are equipped with the following before they head out in the winter:
- Seasonal battery
- Washer fluid
- Anti-freeze
- A strong shovel
- Ice scraper & snow brush
- Winter wiper blades
- Winter tires
Share The Road
Driving in the winter means sharing the road with some vehicles that don’t otherwise get road time, like salt and plow trucks. While these vehicles are necessary to keep the city and suburban streets navigable, they are also incredibly dangerous to smaller vehicles. Be sure your teen knows to stay back from trucks spreading salt and give a wide berth to those plowing the streets.
Ensure They Know How to Drive in Winter
There are a lot of driving techniques that should be used in the winter to help make driving as safe as possible. At a minimum, be sure your teen knows:
- How to minimize skidding or sliding in the snow by turning into the slide
- Traction decreases dramatically, so their stopping distance should reflect this
- How to control their vehicle when going up and down slippery or icy hills
- How to get their stuck vehicle out of deep snow in the street, parking lots, or roadside
Limit Distractions
Distracted driving factors into 58% of teen car crashes. When it comes to driving in the winter, it’s crucial to keep distractions to a minimum. They should avoid using their cell phone and turn their music down so they can really pay attention.
Practice Makes Perfect
Give them plenty of opportunities to build their winter driving skills. If they are still learning, for example, be sure to take them out more than usual during inclement weather so that they can become familiar with the demands and nuances of driving in the winter.
Know When To Call It Quits
Sometimes even the best, most well-prepared drivers can get themselves into danger. Be sure your teen knows that it’s ok to pull over safely and wait if they aren’t comfortable with the severity of the weather.
If your teen son or daughter is involved in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys of Hale & Monico can help. Get in touch with our office today.