Palouse Driver Safety is hosting a workshop Tuesday to teach community members how to handle winter driving conditions. 

Hubert Hogaboam, co-owner of Gem S.T.A.R. driving school, will speak at the event, according to the Palouse Driver Safety Facebook page.

Hogaboam began lecturing on winter conditions many years ago and taught behind-the-wheel classes for 43 years, he said. 

One common misconception, Hogaboam said, is that having a car and license does not make a driver equal to other drivers on the road.

“I would recommend that people not try to drive the same way that experienced people drive when you don’t have experience,” Hogaboam said.

Hogaboam said doing so is similar to showing someone what a basketball is and letting them play around with it, then putting them in an NBA game.

“It’s not going to turn out good,” he said.

People don’t wreck their cars on purpose, Hogaboam said. But if they did everything to cause a wreck, they should not be surprised when they’re in one.

“It is an educational problem,” Hogaboam said.

The police try to enforce laws to fix it, but that is not enough. There are not enough laws in the world to fix someone who is uneducated, Hogaboam said.

“As a teacher, that’s what I’m trying to help you with — the things that you don’t know,” he said.

Another mistake drivers make is thinking four-wheel drive compensates for winter weather, Hogaboam said.

“It’s not the wheels, it’s not the tires,” Hogaboam said. “It’s driving it, it’s operating it.”

In addition to winter driving, Hogaboam will also cover traffic safety, he said.

“The game is to survive,” he said.

Hogaboam’s workshop will be 3-5 p.m. Tuesday in the Chinook Student Center room 150, according to the Palouse Driver Safety Facebook page.

He will open the floor to questions at the end of his presentation, Hogaboam said.

Those interested are asked to reserve their seat by emailing [email protected].