On Sunday evening, January 25^th, East Noble senior Nathan Shortridge was involved in a car collision. It had been snowing all day, a wet, sleety snow. Nathan was on his way to a church event (which, ironically, was cancelled without his knowledge) when he slid in the snow on an unplowed country road while attempting to stop at a stop sign. He slid straight out onto highway 6 where a white Chevrolet HHR slammed into the front left corner of his Mercury Sable at 50 miles per hour, forcing his car to spin around 180 degrees. Both cars were totaled. Thankfully, everybody was okay. No deaths, no injuries, just some frazzled nerves and a couple tow trucks.

So, to avoid stress caused by increasing insurance rates and terror caused by watching a car barreling towards you with no hopes of stopping, here are seven tips to help you on your way in the ice and snow:

• Drive slowly. I know you’ve heard this before, and you probably don’t do it all the time, but trust me. The slower, the better. When there’s snow on the roads, you can’t stop like you can on clean pavement. You can’t stop in just five seconds. If an animal runs out in front of your car, or worse – another car slides out in front of your car, you’ll be glad you’re puttering along at a slower pace than normal.
• Make sure you clean off all your windows before taking off. If you can’t see out your windows, don’t be driving. And one little six inch space near the bottom of your windshield where your defroster is isn’t going to cut it (I, too, am guilty of this one). I know your hands will get cold, and you might have to walk in snow to get to all four sides of your car, but it’s worth it. Better safe than sorry. The windows in your car are meant for you, as a driver, to see out of. If you can’t see behind you, to the sides of you, or God so help you, in front of you, stop driving. You’re a hazard to everyone else on the road too. Don’t ruin their days with your laziness.
• Stop sooner than normal for red lights and stop signs. This one kind of goes along with tip number one, but it’s worth repeating. Snow makes it impossible to quickly stop. Especially if your stopping point is at the end of a downwards slope, as Nathan’s was. If you’re already driving slower than normal, this shouldn’t be much of a problem, but it is still necessary to start stopping sooner, as it will take longer to get yourself fully halted.
• Don’t tailgate someone. Have at least fifteen feet between you and the car in front of you, especially if you’re driving fast (which you shouldn’t be doing anyways!). The car in front of you could encounter black ice or the need to suddenly stop, and if you’re just a few feet behind them, you’ll probably end up paying for their new bumper. Distance yourself between you and other drivers.
• Don’t be dumb. You probably had fun playing in the snow as a kid in your bulky snow pants and nifty little mittens, but it’s not safe to play around with the snow in motor vehicles. Doing donuts in an unplowed parking lot may be fun at first, but it can get thrown out of your control faster than you can say, “higher insurance rates.” If the snow is thick, it will be easier to slide right into a snow bank at the edge of the lot. Especially if there are other cars parked near you, don’t be goofing around. This stuff’s serious.
• Always keep a ‘snow emergency kit’ with you in your car. It’s always nice to have back up in the event of car troubles in the winter. Even if it’s just a stalling engine or you have to stop for gas, mittens are nice to have. So is an extra coat. I keep gloves, a coat, old boots, tow straps, a pocket knife, and some cat litter (for needed traction) in my trunk, just in case. And of course, I have an ice scraper under the passenger seat for more frequent usage.
• *This tip is only for those of you who have long driveways and don’t always have the time to shovel or snow-blow them.* I, personally, have a driveway that definitely could use some Pam™ non-stick spray in the wintertime. It’s like a death zone to any guests who attempt to journey through the white depths unknowingly. If this description reminds you of your own driveway, or you just need to get your car through a spot of deep snow, know this: the more momentum you have, the farther you will get on a sheer glide. I know I’m contradicting what I enforced earlier, but temporarily speeding up will get you through a thick spot. Now, this isn’t for normal on-road driving, this is strictly for driveways or parking lots only. When you drive through deep snow, especially with a light, little car, your tires won’t be touching the actual ground. You’ll literally be floating on snow. However, this strategy of speeding up to get through deeper snow won’t work around a tight turn, because there’s nothing but semi-frozen water beneath your wheels for them to get traction on. You’ll really only drift through the snow in the direction you were heading before you dived in, and only for as long as your momentum allows you. (Don’t try this method when you have no hope for rescue if you do get stuck.)

The bottom line is, be safe. Use your common sense, it’s your greatest weapon. You know how your car deals with winter weather the best, so use that unique knowledge to your, and every other driver’s, advantage. Don’t be a hazard. Be smart. Drive smart.