Watch: Prepping Roads and Drivers for Winter Weather
Newberry, S.C. (WOLO) —Incoming winter weather means hazardous driving conditions for motorists in the Midlands.
Wet and icy roads make safe driving that much more important.
Trooper David Jones with the South Carolina Highway Patrol suggests,”Reduce your speed, go ahead and turn your cruise control off. If you find yourself in a skid or spin out with ice go ahead and reduce acceleration and let your foot off the gas and counter steer where ever you go.”
In an effort to prevent unnecessary accidents Highway Patrol is asking motorists to report any dangerous conditions they might notice while on the road.
“Call us directly. You can dial *47 that’s the highway patrol then our dispatchers can call the appropriate people to get that notified,” says Trooper Jones.
But officers aren’t the only ones working to protect drivers.
The Department of Transportation has been preparing for these conditions since the summer.
Alan Kuzosko with the Department of Transportation explains, “We know it’s coming. We buy and stockpile our material. We hook up all the equipment and make sure it works we do that around November.”
The equipment will distribute multiple tons of salt and calcium chloride onto South Carolina’s roads to prevent and melt ice.
The DOT will have scouts out checking road conditions, paying close attention to problem areas and ensuring that roads are properly treated as quickly as possible.
