Wintertime driving in Indiana

I have lived in Indiana my entire life, never spent a winter anywhere else.  This being the case, I never really had to "adapt" to an Indiana winter.  Not really.  I know what to expect.  I always expect sub zero temperatures, mountains of snow that show up at any given moment after Hallowe'en and last till somewhere around April, and rookie drivers . When the snow flies, you would think most of our fellow drivers had never driven before, much less in snow. I would think that once you learn a set of skills like that, (skills that could mean life and death in some circumstances), that folks would make some mental notes, do something- anything at all- to remember how to drive in snow.  That being said, I am still amazed every year, and for that matter every time it snows, with people's inability to remember (or at least anticipate) what the weather here is like, or how to maneuver a car in snow. The most important tips I can provide for adapting to Indiana winters are about driving, and they are simple.  Every year I watch my friends and family venture out into several blustery white Indiana days, hop in their cars, and proceed to drive like a 12 year old at a go cart track (alternating between flooring it and slamming on the brakes, and sawing on the steering wheel), or a 90 year old (slumping over the wheel, driving 10 MPH and slamming on the brakes every few feet)! For some unexplained reason, there never seem to be very many folks who  don't fit into one of those 2 categories.  So, yer ol' buddy Scotty is here to help with a tip or two. My best winter driving tips are: Take your time, accelerate and decelerate at steady rates of speed (don't "ride the brakes" or spin the tires), and steer smoothly (never "jerk the wheel" on slippery roads).  Remember, a sliding vehicle, or one that is spinning tires, are vehicles which the driver has little or no control over. And above all, once you figure out what works best for you, try to remember how to do it for the next time it snows! That ought to do.  You heard it from yer old buddy Scotty, so you know it's the truth. Good luck, and enjoy the beauty of Indiana winters for many years to come!