Ahead of predicted winter weather through the weekend, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reminding motorists to slow down, pay attention and use caution if traveling in wintry conditions, especially during snow squalls or low-visibility conditions that may occur.
While avoiding or delaying unnecessary travel during winter storms is the safest choice, PennDOT offers this advice if motorists must travel:
- Listen to weather, travel advisories, and be aware of roadway restrictions prior to travelling. If you don’t have to travel in bad weather, don’t.
- Keep your gas tank at least half full.
- Turn on your low beams, even during the daytime to make your vehicle more visible to other motorists.
- Do not use cruise control while driving on snow covered, wet, or icy roads.
- On packed snow, decrease your speed by half. On ice, slow your vehicle to a crawl. In both scenarios, motorists should increase their following distance.
- Clear your vehicle of snow and ice before starting to drive including the windows, hood, trunk, roof, headlights, taillights, and signals.
- Always wear your seatbelt.
When winter weather occurs, drivers should be extra cautious around operating snow-removal equipment. When encountering a plow truck, drivers should:
- Stay at least six car lengths behind an operating plow truck and remember that the main plow is wider than the truck.
- Be alert since plow trucks generally travel much more slowly than other traffic.
- When a plow truck is traveling toward you, move as far away from the center of the road as is safely possible, and remember that snow can obscure the actual snow plow width.
- Never travel next to a plow truck since there are blind spots where the operator can’t see, and they can occasionally be moved sideways when hitting drifts or heavy snowpack.
- Keep your lights on to help the operator better see your vehicle. Also remember that under Pennsylvania state law, vehicle lights must be on every time a vehicle’s wipers are on due to inclement weather.
“We urge drivers to use caution if they must travel and preferably avoid or postpone travel, if the weather conditions warrant it” said PennDOT Community Relations Coordinator Tina Gibbs. “We will be working to keep the roadways passable and safe, but if you must travel slow down and drive using safe and smart driving practices.”
Restrictions may be implemented for speed and for certain vehicles during the storm. Restrictions will be lifted as quickly as possible when conditions are safe. Restrictions can be changed based on conditions on the roadways, and reports from first responders, law enforcement and PennDOT personnel.
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