Winter has arrived — obviously. You can tell when the tips of your fingers are numb from texting your best friend on your way to your next class, and when your face is about to fall off from the -50 degree wind. Are you prepared?

We’ve already had a couple of weeks to get adjusted, but I believe most of us in the Midwest never seem to adjust fully to the winter weather. With one or two substantial snowfalls so far, winter has hit Iowa.

It’s always that first snowfall that scares drivers, and tells them to slow down to 15 miles an hour on Interstate-35, as was the case four weeks ago.

Those with four-wheel or all-wheel drive laugh in the faces of those of us that have rear-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles, with which every maneuver causes one to slide all over the place.

Many ISU students have been living somewhere in the Midwest our entire lives. Why do we continue to complain when the snow falls, or panic at the sign of the first snowflake?

Once the snow falls, people slow down at first, but later begin to drive with less care. When ice enters the picture, we can observe risky drivers steering around the ice like some ride at the carnival.

Sure, your car may be able to pull off some pretty sweet moves on the ice, but you’re likely going to end up in the ditch or run into another vehicle, and with the cold weather, plastic cars shatter pretty easily.

The boys who insist on revving up their engines and “peeling out” on the snowy ground to impress some girl are really doing just the opposite. We don’t think it’s attractive. We’re imagining what will happen to your car when you hit that light pole.

Another norm for winter driving is the quality of parking that can be observed once the snow falls. Here on campus especially, some of the larger parking lots are more difficult to plow due to the large volume of cars parked there, so instead the drivers must put up with the ice and snow covering the lot. The result: gigantic gaps between cars, crooked lines and the creation of non-existent parking spots.

Perhaps once the snowfall arrives, it allows drivers to park as if they had never taken a driving lesson in their life, so when pulling into a parking lot they now have an excuse to park wherever they feel like and not worry about any potential punishments.

There is not much of a chance that Iowa will ever see a snow-free winter. You would think that by now we would know what to do and how to act during a winter storm. Frankly, if you can’t stand the cold, well, perhaps you should consider a different state in which to reside, so you’ll feel more comfortable.

It’s quite simple, actually. Drive cautiously without drifting your car to impress someone, because unless you have accident forgiveness in your insurance policy, chances are once you ultimately crash your car into that light pole, your small act of flirtation will be costing you for quite awhile.

We have at least until Feb. 2 to find out if winter will be done early, or last another six weeks. Until then, it’s about time we drive safely to prevent harming our precious cars. Pick up a sled, a snowboard or a pair of skis if you must walk on the wild side this winter.

– Justine Hain is a freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication from Rochester, Minn.