With winter’s chill comes some of the most dangerous driving conditions. If you’re a new driver in Rochester, you have a significant advantage over other students: With its harsher winters, upstate New York prepares you for driving in these less than ideal conditions. Best of all, you have the expert guidance afforded by taking driving lessons at Morgan School of Driving.

Having provided excellent driving instruction since 1943, the local teachers have put together the following advice for driving during this chilly time of year.

5 Crucial Winter Driving Tips From Driving Instruction Pros

1. Don’t Use Cruise Control

It’s never safe to use cruise control in slippery conditions, whether it’s raining, snowing, icy, or if the road is covered in sand. If you hydroplane while using cruise control, your wheels will actually speed up to compensate, making it impossible to regain control of your vehicle.

2. Avoid Using The Parking Brake Outdoors

If you leave your parking brake on in winter, the cables may freeze, making it extremely difficult to disengage it. This is a particular issue when you have to park outside.

3. Accelerate & Decelerate Slowly

Expect your trips to take significantly longer during the winter, as you’ll have to accelerate and decelerate slowly. If you try to stop and go normally, your vehicle may lose control.

4. Avoid the “moving iceberg” approach to driving.

Clean your car off completely. Get a push broom so you can get the car cleaned totally and well. Warm it up on very cold days so the windshield doesn’t freeze up as soon as you start moving.

5. Don’t Warm Up In The Garage

On a chilly winter morning, it might be tempting to warm up your car in the relative warmth of the garage. However, carbon monoxide will quickly build up if the garage door is left unopened. It’s a lot safer, however, to pull out of the garage first and warm up there. 

For the best driving instruction in Fairport, Rochester, and Greece, NY, give Morgan School of Driving a call at (585) 425-2410 for Fairport, (585) 288-6290 for Rochester and (585) 227-9010 for Greece. For more information about the driving school, visit them online.