Winter weather has finally hit our county and with that comes winter weather driving so Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood took some time to speak with Castle Country Radio about preparing for winter driving.
“These snowstorms now, if it snows at all the roads are slippery because the roads are already cold and everything sticks, there were a lot of slide-offs during this last snowstorm a few days ago. Just want to remind everybody, that breaking zones triple, you know if you’re coming up to a stop sign, three times further than you normally would, start slowing down and be prepared and honestly have all the speed stroked off to where you are just simply stopping coming up to the sign to stop,” said Sheriff Wood. More importantly, slow down, give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to go. Don’t be rushed because that is when most accidents will happen.
“Along with this, you know you are going to see temperatures down below zero, I’ve already seen that near my home after this snowstorm it has been cold. Its time to make sure your car is serviced and up to speed – make sure you have plenty of windshield washer fluid, make sure the oil is changed, and all your fluids are good and walk around and check your tires. This is a time to have good tires on your vehicle that makes all the difference in the world on the icy roads,” explained Sheriff Wood. Its important to do a quick inspection of your vehicle to make sure everything is in good working order.
It’s also very important that you keep your tank full during the winter months just in case you do get stranded you are able to stay warm. “Don’t head over the mountain without topping off it’s just unsafe. If heaven forbid you were to slide off and were out of sight for a minute, and had to spend the night in your car you need plenty of fuel to keep that running and stay warm,” stated Sheriff Jeff Wood. Its not a bad idea to have an emergency kit in your vehicle during the winter months. It can have blankets, water, snacks, shovel, reflectors and other items that you feel would be useful if you become stranded.