On December 22 winter officially starts, and AHS sophomore Emma Mengwasser admits that she has never driven in the snow. AHS Sophomore Annie Bartosz, on the other hand, has driven in flurry once before, but other than that never. Both are new student drivers who got their licenses the past two months.

Bartosz said that when she had her temporary license, she used to drive to school so that she could practice getting in to the AHS campus, even in cold weather. She also says that she used to come to school on the weekends to practice.

Mengwasser has also said that she has prepared by talking to her parents about driving in dangerous conditions and how to avoid them.

“Sadly, you can’t avoid snow, so I have to be really cautious and maybe let my brother(Tom Mengwasser) drive for the first few snowfalls,” she says.

Brad’s Deals (https://www.bradsdeals.com) lists 37 things that drivers should always have in the car. An ice scraper, to scrape the ice and show off of your windshield and windows, is listed as number 24. Also suggested is an extra winder coat, blanket and first aid kit. Bartosz says she carries three out of the four in her car every day.

Mengwasser says, “I carry blankets, an ice scraper and jumper cables because especially in winter a lot of batteries die from being to cold and I want to be prepared.”

Mengwasser considers herself a good driver, but she “is most nervous about sliding and crashing due to ice on the road.”

Bartosz is confident in her driving abilities also, but says that she is scared for the “dangerous road conditions” and other “less skilled drivers” putting her life “at risk.”

She also says that if she ever get stuck in a ditch due to a snowstorm or bad weather, she has so call her mom, and then a tow truck.

Mengwasser on the other hand, does not know who to call. “I should probably find that out, especially for winter,” she said, “winter can be a dangerous time, and I don’t want to be a victim of it.”

Even though Bartosz hasn’t been driving that long, she said she wanted to give advice to new drivers like herself so they, herself included, don’t get into any accidents.

“I know this sounds clique, but make sure you look both ways. I will help us both if you and I know who’s coming,” she says, “also, drive slow.”