Through driving slower, and being more aware of their environment , new student drivers are navigating through the challenges of learning to drive through bad weather.
According to senior Kaileigh Tuttle, taking “things super slow at first” has helped when driving in inclement weather.
“It may seem slow, but it will help you be able to look at all your surroundings at once which is key,” Tuttle said.
For junior Devang Bhandari, he feels paying attention to his car helps when driving through rough weather.
“I would say you should pay attention to the signals and your tire pressure and everything, and constantly get your car fixed and checked out in case any of the parts in your car break down,” Bhandari said.
Tuttle says that bad weather has made her more cautious when she drives.
“If I’m on a road I’ll be looking at all my mirrors to make sure I know what’s happening around me in case cars around me are out of control,” Tuttle said.
According to Bhandari, driving through rough weather caused his tire to fall off in front of the school.
“I was driving in the cold and everything and the tire pressure caused my tire to fall off, and I had to fix my tire at school.” Bhandari said. “It fell off while I was leaving the parking lot and I had to pull over and fix the car. It probably took an hour or two.”
According to junior Eduardo Lai, the risk factor can cause students to change their driving habits in bad weather.
“It’s definitely forced people I know to drive slower and be a little bit more cautious, just because of the risk, and it can be a bit more intimidating,” Lai said.
According to Lai, his parents have prepared him by just having him drive and get used to it.
“Just kind of doing it, just kind of saying ‘go out there and try it out, be cautious but get used to it,’” Lai said. “I think it’s definitely hardest when you start, and it gradually gets better. It’s really not that bad once you get used to it, it’s just getting over that fear at first.”
For Bhandari, the biggest learning curve is knowing where everything is in your car.
“It’s important to know everything about the car and where your parts are, stuff like how to fix a tire because it can blow up any minute, and knowing what happens when you get pulled over and everything,” Bhandari said.
Tuttle says that learning about the different road hazards helped her with the learning curve.
“When I was driving with my mom to the grocery store in the snow, she walked me through all of the steps,” Tuttle said.
“We drove really slow and she was explaining to me the different things that could happen such as skidding and slipping. She basically told me that I have to go slower so she definitely taught me how to handle rough weather situations better.”