Snow in the Forecast
As a certain meteorologist in the Baltimore area likes to say, all aboard the Snow Train…
The potential future forecast looks good for snow hounds, but Sgt. Eaton says it’s not good for the road, and wants you to know how to navigate icy conditions! #TrafficTipTuesday
“Hello and welcome to a frost-bitten edition of #TrafficTipTuesday. I was looking at the weather for the rest of the week and unless you are a penguin, it doesn’t look too pleasant. The safest thing you can do in icy conditions is pour a cup of hot cocoa, put on your bunny slippers and stay at home. If you MUST drive, here are a couple of quick tips to help keep you safe.
One of the biggest hazards with freezing temperatures is black ice. This causes a lot of problems because many drivers may not notice it. Black ice is actually clear (the “black” you are seeing is the roadway beneath the ice). A lot of drivers tend to misjudge how dangerous it is.
If you decide that you must drive in icy conditions, the first thing to do is to reduce your speed. The slower the better when it comes to ice and snow. If you DO find your vehicle sliding on the ice and you think to yourself “I wish I had listened to Traffic Sergeant Eaton when he told me to stay home”, DO NOT PANIC! Panicking will only make the situation worse.
Remember, sliding is not the problem. Hitting things while sliding is the problem. The website icyroadsafety.com gives three simple tips to correct a slide:
- Don’t hit your brakes: While lightly tapping your brakes could help, you don’t want to mash them all the way through the floorboards. Heavy braking triggers slides and makes existing slides worse!
- Turn into the slide: Turn your wheels in the direction the back of the vehicle is sliding.
- Don’t panic and don’t overcorrect: Overcorrecting may send the car into an unrecoverable spin.
Another tip that many people may not think about is unless it is an absolute emergency, you should not stop for a stranded motorist on an icy roadway. Parking your vehicle on the shoulder could cause other motorists to see you, apply their brakes, and send themselves into a slide and crash. Or, even worse, a vehicle could slide into you while you are standing outside your vehicle in the ice. The best course of action would be to safely continue on your way, find a safe place to park, and then call for assistance.
As always, if you have a question or concern, please leave it in the comments below. Also, if you have a specific concern with unsafe driving in your area, such as speeding, drag racing, etc., give us a call, send an email, or reach out on social media. Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely
HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324
traffictiptuesday@harfordsheriff.org
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram