Winter Weather Driving Monday, December 20, 2010 By Sophomore Daniel Sloan [ArticleImageHyperLink] Advertising Everyone has heard something about the evils of texting and driving or drinking and driving, but what about driving in bad weather? Mother Nature can be a cruel witch to the cars of many, yet there is hope for the motor vehicles of men and women across the nation. Paying attention is the key to surviving winter mayhem of all kinds. With this skill and a little luck, you too can live to ride another day. Cameron Alumni Scott Walser said, “I lived in Minneapolis for about six months and the major difference between living here and living up there is that there is no ice up there, it is just straight up snow. It always a lot windier, so it seems like it is just a constant blizzard. It snows pretty much the whole entire day. There are no breaks. Here, it will snow for a couple hours. There, it is just constant. Typically in Missouri, the plows will go through the snow as it is snowing. Up there, they just wait until its done other wise they would be out all the time.“ Okay, so perhaps we do not have it so bad here in Cameron, but you are probably wondering what Scott’s experienced advise for traversing the snow covered roads is. Mr. Walser said, “The bottom line is, you just have to be careful.” So, how do you “Be careful?” High School Teacher Kurt Dickkut said, “I have had one wreck and that was about twelve years ago. This guy was road hunting. Road hunting is when you sit in your vehicle with your rifle and you shoot animals from the vehicle. I was driving home on the black top and I popped over this hill on Christmas Eve. He was just sitting there. Because of the slush I could not stop and the rest is history. They did not want to give anybody a ticket, so because of the slush, the police just called it a no-fault accident. Go a little slower than you think you need to and leave a little space in front of you. I have had students die in the past because of accidents and not thinking. When I was a teenager, I drove a little crazy, but I was one of the lucky ones. ” It does not seem like Mr. Dickkut’s accident could have been avoided, so we can conclude that sometimes mother nature is just more powerful than we humans. Mr. Dickkut wasn’t the only one with good advice. Paraprofessional Rhonda Wilson said, “I’ve learned when driving in fog you should keep your lights on dim. Bright lights will bounce back at you and make things worse.” Everyone should try to keep these tips in mind when driving. Perhaps this winter can have fewer accidents than any before. Remember, pay attention, slow down, and keep your lights on dim during the holiday.

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