November is a month where the weather decides to take a drastic turn, changing from breezy fall air to blistering winter nights. Right now the Quad Cities are experiencing beautiful weather, with temperatures in the 70s. But soon enough the nice weather will fade, and the snow many Iowans dread will come. The snow and ice often causes accidents for drivers on the road. At Pleasant Valley and many other Quad City schools, students are starting to drive at a young age. Because of this, it has caused an inexperienced group of drivers out on the icy roads creating nothing but chaos.

Studies have shown 817 deaths were caused by motor vehicle accidents in the winter of 2015; this study was 80 times greater than the other weather-related accidents. With this high of a rate, it really shows the dangers of winter driving. Junior, Brendan Roethler says, “I believe they should teach Drivers Ed in the winter for a short amount of time so kids get experience in both weather conditions.” At the moment, Driver’s Ed classes are in the summer or winter, but never both. By changing this curriculum, it could help take down the tremendous rate of accidents in the winter.

There are many things that drivers cannot control, such as black ice, losing control of the car, packed snow, etc. This is what makes winter driving scary. Not having knowledge of when or where the ice/snow is makes it very hard to judge the way to drive. “Winter driving requires more concentration than usual,” says Roethler.  But in any case, driving slow and being cautious prevents any accident to happen.

Here are some tips for safe winter driving:

• Avoid driving while fatigued.
• Check if tires are properly inflated
• Keep your gas tank at least half full.
• Avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather.
• DO NOT use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
• Use your seatbelt every time you get into your vehicle.

As many young sophomores are becoming familiar being behind the wheel, sophomore, Amy Showers says, “It’s going to be scary driving for the first time with winter weather, but I know I’m going to be very cautious.” Hopefully, by using these tips and being cautious just like Roethler and Showers say, we can lower the rate of winter vehicle accidents and keep everyone safe for the holidays.