AAA offers helpful tips for winter driving

Winter driving is challenging for even the most experienced drivers, but slippery roads can be especially difficult for the novice dealing with ice and snow for the first time, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

"Teens lack driving experience, pure and simple, whether in January or in June. But parents can help immeasurably," said David Weinstein, public affairs manager. "Communicate with your teens to help them navigate winter roads safely and responsibly."

AAA offers the following tips to help parents teach their teens to drive in winter conditions:

+ Under close supervision, let your teen practice slow speed maneuvers on a wide open snow or ice covered parking lot. Have him or her practice hard breaking and steering in skidding conditions.

+ A novice driver's first on-the-road experience with winter weather driving should not occur during a major snowstorm. Wait until conditions are less severe.

+ Consider limiting your teen's driving on slippery conditions to daylight hours until they have gained more experience.

+ Remind your teen that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is dangerous under any conditions, and that the risk is even greater on slippery roads.

+ Make sure the vehicle your teen is driving is equipped with essential emergency equipment, including a cell phone, flashlight, blankets, jumper cables, sand or non-clumping cat litter and a small shovel or ice scraper.

AAA Mid-Atlantic, headquartered in Wilmington, Del., serves 3.6 million members in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia by providing personal insurance, travel, financial and automotive services through 53 retail branches, regional operations centers and at www.aaamidatlantic.com.