Driving in the snow can be a scary task.  Scituate roads are death traps in the winter, just waiting to snatch up young drivers unaccustomed to the dangerous conditions. Ms. Shanley said there are “so many horrible things” about driving in the winter, including “shoveling the car out of the driveway” as well as “not having control over the car.”

“The other drivers” are the worst things about winter driving according to Ms. Donnelly. But according to senior Laura Haselman, “black ice is the absolute worst.”

In fact, forbes.com named Boston #2 on its list of America’s Worst Winter Weather Cities, with data collected over a 30 year period.

Here are some important tips to keep everyone safe this winter.

1. Start      your car about 15 minutes before leaving for school.  It is difficult      to turn the wheel when your hands are frozen, and this way you won’t be      distracted by your chattering teeth.
2. Be      sure you are in four wheel drive if your car is equipped with it.       This will give your wheels better traction.
3. Drive      slowly – at least 5 mph under the speed limit.   Don’t let other      drivers around you intimidate you into driving faster than you’re      comfortable doing. This is a general rule of thumb for driving in any      weather.
4. Slow      down around turns.
5. Keep      an ice scraper handy.
6. Sweep      the snow off your roof before you go for a drive.  If you make a      sudden stop, the snow could come crashing down and obstruct your view or      can obstruct the view of cars behind you.
7. Make      sure your windshield wipers are not blocked. They need to be able to swish      away accumulating flakes should it start to snow suddenly. Also, keep the      windshield wiper fluid level high; you can pick it up for a few dollars at      any gas station.
8. Pull      over if you can’t see through the snow and wait for better visibility.      Don’t risk it.
9. If      your car starts to slide, turn the wheels in the direction your car is      traveling and take your foot off the gas.  If you turn opposite the      skid you will end up doing donuts.
10. Be      especially wary of tailgating – you never know when you could slip on      black ice and slide into a car in front of you.