Help Your Teen Driver Handle Spring Roads

Published on March 05, 2018 11:40 PM in Safe Driving, Teen Driving

Inexperienced drivers face enough challenges when the weather cooperates. How can parents ready their teens for unforgiving weather while at the wheel?

“Use the weather as an opportunity to go for a ride with your teen and practice skills they’ll need to stay safe on the road,” said Kathy Bernstein, senior manager of teen driving initiatives for the National Safety Council, a nonprofit advocacy group.

“Advice for staying safe on spring roads remains the same no matter who is behind the wheel, but teenagers experiencing spring driving for the first time should get extra coaching,” she said.

Mark Cox of the Bridgestone Driving School offered the following tips for driving on wet roads:

Water collects in potholes. The deeper the water, the more likely your vehicle will hydroplane.
If your vehicle begins to slide, grasp the steering wheel firmly and slowly release the gas pedal.
Brake smoothly. Releasing the brake quickly can unbalance the vehicle.
Replace worn wiper blades to provide better visibility in heavy rain.
Allow extra following distance to give yourself time for reacting to sudden changes in road conditions and other vehicles.
Use low beams to improve visibility and reduce glare.
Slow down in cone zones. Citations often are significantly higher--double or triple for speeding and other infractions.