FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 16, 2015) – Kentucky Transportation Cabinet snow and ice crews began mobilizing Sunday night and today are working on roadways across most of the Commonwealth as a winter storm moves west to east, dropping prodigious amounts of snow.
Crews report that the snow is mostly a dry powder, easily plowed, but coming down in such volume that plowed driving lanes quickly become covered again.
The Transportation Cabinet can deploy 1,000 snow plows and 385 contractors with plows, but has responsibility for 63,000 lane miles of roadway.
On Sunday, Gov. Steve Beshear issued a statement advising Kentuckians to stay put today if possible. “Our first priority must be safety,” the Governor’s statement said.
For those who must avoid travel, here are some tips for safe winter driving:
- Slow down.
- Always wear your seat belt.
Driving Considerations
- Leave early – allow more travel time; expect delays.
- Increase distance between vehicles – it takes significantly longer to stop on snow-covered or icy roadways.
- Clear all windows on your vehicle prior to travel – having unobstructed vision is vital to avoid running off of the road or having a collision.
- Turn on your vehicle’s headlamps. Remove any dirt, mud or snow.
- Use caution on bridges and overpasses, as they are susceptible to freezing before roadways.
- Avoid using cruise control – cruise can cause the vehicle’s wheels to continue turning on a slippery surface when speed needs to be decreased.
Be Prepared
- Ensure your vehicle has a full tank of gas in the event you are stranded for an extended period of time.
- Charge your cellular phone prior to departure.
- Take a blanket.
- Notify a family member or a friend of your travel plans prior to departure – if your travel is interrupted, someone will know.
Collision Information
- Be patient – bad weather also limits the capabilities of law enforcement officers and emergency crews and increases response time. Also, keep in mind that they will be experiencing a high volume of requests for service.
- Attempt to move your vehicle out of the roadway if you are involved in a minor, non-injury traffic collision; especially if you are in a dangerous area such as a curve or a blind hill.
- If your vehicle is stranded or wrecked but not in the roadway, attempts to recover your vehicle will have to wait until conditions improve for safety considerations.
Look out for stranded motorists. If you see or suspect that someone is stranded, call 911 or contact the Kentucky State Police at 1-800-222-5555.
