Newswise — For more than a decade, Michigan Technological University's Winter Driving School has been giving drivers the tools they need to face icy roadways with confidence. Located in the famously snowy Keweenaw Peninsula, the school is a day-long crash course in safe winter driving techniques, taught by professional drivers on one of the nation’s finest winter driving test courses.
The course is held on Saturdays and is open to all drivers, including those with learner’s permits. “That way, they can learn to do the right thing from the beginning and not develop any bad habits,” says instructor Mark Osborne.
The course begins with classroom instruction that includes a video and discussion of safe driving practices, ranging from tires and seatbelts to panic avoidance. Then students head out to the track, where they get hands-on experience in braking, turning and safely controlling skids.
“We use a wide selection of late-model vehicles, and students spend 60 to 70 percent of the time on the track,” Osborne says. “Students tell me they really like the course and that they learned a lot.”
The course usually begins the second Saturday in January at the Keweenaw Research Center, near the Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX). The cost is $150, considerably less than the deductible on most collision insurance policies. Call 906-487-2750 to sign up. For more information, go to www.mtukrc.org/school.htm
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