Snow, ice, rain, and temperatures below 32 degrees. One or a mixture of these four elements create nightmares for many teen drivers during the winter season. These elements leave road conditions unpredictable and dangerous.

On one slick afternoon, freshman Kody Martin’s truck slid on icy roads through a stop sign onto Highway 13. Although no cars were heading her way, the incident left Martin anxious.

“I was scared,” Martin said. “I thought I was going to die.”

Senior Megan McDonald also experienced brake trouble and a near accident one evening while traveling to Manchester. As she was turning off Highway 13 onto Highway 20, McDonald’s brakes locked up, forcing her car to the side of the road. 

“I was on the edge of rolling down this huge ditch,” McDonald said. “My life flashed before my eyes, but, luckily, I was able to press the gas enough to get out and keep going.” 

Both Martin’s and McDonald’s close calls left them and their cars intact; other students weren’t so lucky.

One winter, senior Brody Tjaden turned into Schram Park’s driveway and slid into the curb. Tjaden left the accident unscathed, but his car took some major damage.

“I broke both of my passenger-side wheels, cracking my rims and ruining my alignment,” Tjaden said.

Also inflicting damage on his car, senior Kody Wenger was driving up the Main Street bridge, and a car slid through a stop sign, hitting the side of Wenger’s Ford Tempo. The next day on his way to a morning wrestling practice, Wenger noticed that his car was wobbling uncontrollably. Halfway through his trip, Wenger hit a patch of ice that sent him into the ditch. After further examination, Wenger’s dad noticed that the car’s tire rod had been broken.

“It was a series of unfortunate events, that I had just happened to fall into,” Wenger said.

Right Way Driver Education instructor Corey Coates advises drivers to use patience and to leave plenty of room between them and the cars in front of them. Coates also suggests drivers clear all snow and ice off their windows and pack a survival pack full of blankets, jumper cables, phone chargers, and snacks.