Let Teenagers Drive on Ice and Snow in the Magic Valley

Driving in winter in Idaho can be an adventure. Each day you get out on the road, you never know what to expect. It can be dry, it can be wet, it could be gusts of wind causing you to struggle to keep your car on the road, or it can be snow and ice, making you fear for your life. Driving through the winter is never fun and it changes day to day, and sometimes hour to hour. Recently there was a snowstorm that came through, and the roads have been less than ideal this past weekend and week. Many parents are staying home and avoiding the roads if they can, and are making their teenagers stay home as well. While it is smart to keep new drivers off the road for their safety, during these bad storms is a great chance to encourage these young drivers to get behind the wheel and drive on the ice and snow.

Teenagers Driving on Ice and Snow in Idaho

While keeping teenagers off the road is safe for both the teenagers and other drivers, it is also a great chance for them to learn. Living in Idaho, these kids will grow up and eventually have to get to work or travel through these conditions, and the longer they go without driving in the snow the tougher it will be when mom and dad aren't there to help. They will need to learn eventually, and it is better to teach them when a parent is present. What is the best way to learn though, and not put your child or other driver's lives at risk? 

Teaching Teenagers to Drive on Snow and Ice

Instead of letting your teenagers get out on the road with other cars, find a big empty parking lot and let them do some donuts on the ice. It is intended to let them practice controlling a car in slick driving conditions without putting their life or others at risk. There is nothing for them to hit, and it is taking advantage of the conditions to learn when given the opportunity. If you decide to use this weather as a teaching moment, make sure you are not in a lot that people are moving in and out of, and make sure it is not private property either. It is meant to be a safe and legal way to learn. Yes, they will lose control of the car, but there is nothing and nobody around. Let them practice and teach them how to navigate on it, stop, turn, and correct their mistakes. 

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Eventually, kids will have to learn to drive in these conditions, especially if they plan on staying in Idaho as adults. It is best to teach them now, instead of finding out the hard way later in life. By putting them in an empty parking lot they can figure out what works and what doesn't, so when the time comes to get to work or school in bad weather, they can do so safely. It may sound ridiculous and dangerous a bit, but it is better than being in an accident because they don't know how to drive in winter conditions. The next time you see a car doing donuts on a snowy day, don't get upset or judge them, they might be learning to drive on ice and snow.