If you've lived in North Dakota for a while, you probably already know the answer.
They better.
I don't think I've ever met anyone who's spent a few winters here and didn't have at least one story about ice.
Or wind.
Or a deer.
Usually all three.
The thing about driving in North Dakota is that the road can look completely fine right up until the moment it isn't.
That's what catches people.
I remember driving home one afternoon thinking the roads looked great. No snow falling. No storm. Nothing dramatic.
A few minutes later I touched the brakes and realized there was ice on the road that I never saw.
That'll wake you up.
Most defensive driving courses spend time talking about things like following distance, distractions, reaction time, and paying attention to what's happening around you.
In North Dakota, those topics hit a little differently because they're things you actually deal with.
You leave extra space because roads get slick.
You pay attention because deer don't send a warning text before running across the highway.
You slow down because wind can make a perfectly normal drive feel a lot less normal.
The funny thing is that most people don't learn these lessons from a textbook.
They learn them from one moment that gets their attention.
A little slide.
A close call.
A deer crossing the road.
A stretch of highway where the visibility suddenly disappears.
That's why crash prevention courses and approved defensive driving courses spend so much time talking about awareness.
Most drivers already know the rules.
The challenge is remembering them on the days when everything seems fine.
Those are usually the days that surprise you.