Neither Snow Nor Rain, Logging Practice Miles in Mother Nature’s Worst

One benefit of this past weekend’s freak October storm was the opportunity it provided to teach my son how to drive in snow.  Yes, just two months after obtaining his permit, he was on the road Saturday getting a taste of what it’s like to maneuver our Ford Escape in the white stuff.

No, I’m not crazy.  In fact, the thirty minutes he logged behind the wheel took place during the early part of the storm when there were just a few inches on the road.  Sure visibility was limited, but I’d much rather he learn how to deal with this when I’m along for the ride.  Unfortunately, I’ve encountered many parents (some dear friends) who absolutely refuse to teach their teens how to drive in anything but ideal conditions. 

Rather than fret over inclement weather, treat it as a teachable moment.  With apologies to the men and women of the U.S. Postal Service, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night should stop parents and their novice drivers from the steady logging of their practice miles.  After all, that’s the key to building skill -- practice, practice, practice.  And that means on all types of roadways, in all kinds of weather.

In addition to discussing the importance of reducing your speed and allowing more following distance between our vehicle and the one in front of us (driving professionals recommend doubling and even tripling following distance when road or weather conditions are poor) when traveling in snow, the storm also gave me the opportunity to reinforce New Jersey’s ice and snow removal law with my teenager. 

In case you weren’t aware, failure to clear all ice and snow from your vehicle -- including the hood, roof and trunk, not just the windows and mirrors -- is a citable offense.  Thankfully, the law was amended in 2010 (previously police could stop and ticket motorists for failing to clear snow and ice from their vehicles only if the flying debris caused property damage or injury to others ) to prevent what I refer to as “traveling snow storms” (motorists who fail to remove Mother Nature’s junk from their vehicles before they get behind the wheel) from causing havoc on the road. 

Armed with a combination snow brush and scraper, my son took to the task as eagerly as he does uploading iTunes.  Perhaps I exaggerate a bit, but when I pointed out the need to also brush off the snow from the tail and headlights, he uttered a surprised “okey dokey” and went back to work.

But the most important lesson my son learned during his brief tenure on the road was that when it comes to stopping in snow, all vehicles are created equal.  Just because he’s driving an SUV equipped with four-wheel-drive and advanced traction control, doesn’t mean that it will stop on a dime (as several motorists we encountered along the way demonstrated).  In the case of driving in snow (as well as rain and ice), I’d  much prefer that he learn it’s far better -- and safer -- to be the tortoise then the hare. 

A final thought:  In need of a good checklist for teaching your teens to drive?  Download Safe Driving: A Parent’s Guide to Teaching Teens or pick up a copy at the nearest state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) agency.  By law, this award winning publication is supposed to be given to all new drivers when they obtain their permit.  However, when my son and  I visited the Randolph MVC office in August to complete the paperwork for his permit, I had to ask for the guide (it was not offered to me).  If you do pick up a copy at MVC, make sure it’s the most current edition, which has a practice driving log on pages 25-26.  You’ll find the log extremely helpful in keeping track of how much your teen is driving as well as when and where.