How do you stay safe on the roads during a winter storm?
RAPID CITY, S.D. – As a winter storm approaches, it’s important to keep in mind the dangers of driving in hazardous conditions. The simplest answer is to stay home if you can. If you do have to travel, here are some tips from the South Dakota Highway Patrol reminding drivers to take extra precautions to stay safe on the roads.
Turn on Your Headlights and Taillights
If you have to drive during the storm, the first thing you’ll want to do is turn on your headlights and taillights. Even if you have automatic headlights, double-check to make sure they’re on. Sometimes, they may not trigger if it is bright enough outside. Having your headlights on will make you more visible to other drivers and help keep you and others safe.
Pay Attention to the Weather and Road Conditions
One of the easiest ways to get yourself into trouble is not paying attention to the weather and overdriving the road conditions. Overdriving the road is also a ticketable offense. Here’s the latest forecast on the upcoming winter storm.
To make sure you’re up to date on all of the most current weather information, download the NewsCenter1 weather app for iOS and Android.
Stay Home if You Can
Kyle Maciejewski, a trooper with the South Dakota Highway Patrol, said, “Unless you absolutely feel the need to go somewhere, just stay home. It’s not worth it. It takes resources from us and other resources that have to come out and save you in case you don’t make it somewhere. So it’s just not worth the chance.”
Remember, when it comes to winter driving safety, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Stay inside if you can, and if you have to drive, make sure your headlights are on, pay attention to the road conditions, and have a winter survival kit with you.
