Snowy Roads

It’s that time of year again MHS students! It takes a little bit longer to get to school because of the conditions of the road and students aren’t going on drives around town as often. You guys can survive the winter and there are some things you should definitely take into consideration to keep you, and those around you, safe.

Student Safety from the Administrators  

Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle! It’s just driving in the snow. The administrators are always trying their best to keep us safe during the winter; here’s how.

“One day we actually told teachers to excuse most kids cause it was so slick. We try to be very lenient and understanding. Our number one priority is student safety.” Assistant Vice Principal. Klassen said.

It seems like accident numbers just jump when there’s snow on the ground. So what happens when you’re involved in one?

“It depends on where it happens and the reason I say that is because if it happens on private property and I don’t see the accident happen I have to see if people are legal drivers and find out their information including current insurance and current registration. Then they exchange information and call their insurance companies. But if it happens on a city street we go out and we determine fault and give a citation then a full accident report.” Officer Bovie said.

Crash From the Past

It’s all fun and games until you run into a tree.

“We were on our way to futsal and I told Isaac (Senior Isaac Rabello) we needed to hurry. We took a corner too fast and went straight into a tree. We would’ve had to pay for the tree if it didn’t grow back.” Senior Samuel Bourgeous said.

You never think you’re going to get into one accident, and definitely not more than one. However, a few of our Madison High School students know what this is like.

“Last year I was actually in two wrecks in two weeks,” Senior Lizzy Woodruff said.

Accidents happen, sometimes they happen multiple times.

“And another time, and another time, and another time, I hate myself,” Senior Avery Stoddard said.     

Tips and Tricks

High School is full of kids who are just learning how to drive, and icy roads are not helping. Rexburg is known for its harsh and snowy winters, which increase the chance for sliding and wrecking. Junior Carson Smith shared some tips on how to stop sliding.

“Go in a parking lot and start drifting. If you start drifting then you’ll see how to counter that and what to do differently.”

While Senior Andrew Crawford shared that same opinion, he also uses what he learned in science classes to drive safely.

“You have to know how your momentum is working. Take some hard physics classes so you can do all the calculations in your head while your driving.”

The most important tip is to give yourself time. Don’t rush and speed, don’t slam on your breaks or you risk skidding. But if you do, Junior Mari Xela Anderson knows how to help.

“When you start to slide, don’t press on the brakes and steer where you want to go, not where you think the car should go… don’t overcorrect,” said Anderson.

New Drivers 

While some students at Madison High have been driving on icy Rexburg roads for years, there are many who have only been driving for a few weeks. And these students seem ready to take winter driving head-on.

Sophomore Tiffany King, who got her license in early November, was confident in her winter driving abilities even before she got her license. “I felt prepared because I took driver’s ed in the winter,” said King.

And winter driving experience is extremely helpful, if not necessary. Ethan Andreasen, a sophomore, shares how he prepared to drive in the winter.

“My mom kind of made me go above and beyond with the hours and just driving everywhere so I felt pretty good,” said Andreasen.

But not all students at Madison have their license yet, though a lot seem pretty confident in their driving ability. Sophomore Ellie Crawford, who is planning to get her license next week, is one of these students.

“I’m more scared of other drivers than my driving,” said Crawford, “because I trust myself more than I trust other people.”

That’s So Annoying

It’s “snow” secret we all have pet peeves while driving, but driving in the snow seems to make pet peeves a lot more irritating.

“I hate it when people follow too close because in the winter you never know what is going to happen.” Mr. Lambson said.

Driving in the snow can be scary for a lot of new drivers if they aren’t aware of the precautions they have to take.

“They can cause accidents. They don’t know when to stop and they think the people behind them can stop.” senior Matt Schiff said.

Students tend to be late to classes in the winter due to the road conditions and the new drivers that haven’t ever driven in the snow.

“They drive slower because it’s snowing and it makes me late when I’m stuck behind them.” senior Ashley Orr said.

So How Important is Drivers Etiquette?  

Driving can be annoying and most of the time it’s because of other drivers. There’s always that one driver that does not signal or follows your way to close. No one is a perfect driver.

Junior Seth Ingram said, “ My biggest pet peeve when driving is when people don’t signal when turning.”

One of the worst things that can happen while driving is getting in a car accident because someone didn’t practice drivers etiquette.

“ I have been in an accident where I was in the back seat and my sister rolled on a stop sign and the other car did the same thing and I don’t know who was expecting to slow down or stop or who had the right away. I remember just looking to the right and seeing this big ol’ excursion ran right into us and it knocked the wind out of me.” said Mr. Chavez a teacher at Madison High.