During winter weather conditions, motorists are reminded to use caution and remember the following safety tips:
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Drive carefully - Allow plenty of time to get to your destination. Do not use cruise control. Remember that bridges and exit and entrance ramps can be icy when other areas are not.
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Leave a "space cushion” - Leave enough room between you and the car in front of you because stopping in snow may require up to four times your normal stopping distance.
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Be seen -Dull, cloudy days will cut down on visibility so drive using low-beam headlights.
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Steer into a skid -Stay calm and ease your foot off the gas while carefully steering in the direction you want the front of your vehicle to go.
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Practice driving -During daylight, rehearse maneuvers slowly on ice or snow in an empty lot.
Drive safely near snow plows
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Be patient -Don't pass the plow. If it's safe, the plow will pull over and let you pass.
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Be aware - A snowplow is slow moving, and may create snow clouds that can cause zero visibility.
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Stay back -Give the plow and our snow-removal professionals room to work.
Throughout the snow season, which runs from November to March, highway response teams across Kentucky serve weekly on-call rotations. The teams monitor weather reports when snow is in the forecast and determine when to activate the state’s arsenal of snow-fighting equipment, including more than 1,000 snow plows.
Motorists are reminded to give a wide berth to plows, salt trucks and other snow-clearing heavy equipment. To be effective in dispersing de-icing material, trucks tend to travel at a slower speed. Also, snow plows may create a snow cloud which can cause a white out or zero visibility condition, so keep a safe distance away from the trucks.
