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Fall brings additional hazards to motorists, be patient, be safe
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
With the advent of fall comes later sunrises and earlier sunsets, which means we are spending more time driving in the dark. Add to that large farm implements on the roads, foggy and/or misty mornings and evenings and increased deer activity. This all makes for additional hazards on our morning and evening commutes to work, school and other activities.
“Fall is a time when we see different types of accidents. I wouldn’t say we see more accidents, but they are different in nature,” said State Trooper Kelley McGraw. “We see more deer-vehicle and farm implement-vehicle accidents.”
McGraw said farmers are required to have lights on everything. All trailers and gravity boxes need to have lights and slow moving vehicle reflective signs.
“If there’s a situation where someone needs to move some equipment that doesn’t have the proper lights, they need to have someone following right behind in a car or pick-up with their flashers on.
“One of the trade-offs for not living in a metro area with daily traffic jams is that twice a year we must share our roads with the farm implements,” McGraw noted. “We all enjoy watching the crops go in, waiting and watching them mature and now the harvest. It’s more than worth the little bit of extra caution we all must use during this time of year.”
While Houston County has already received several minor snow events this fall, the area hasn’t experienced one that has covered the roadways…yet.
The first snow that makes the roads slippery keeps law enforcement units and tow trucks busy, according to McGraw.
“People tend to forget how to drive on slippery roads. They forget they need to slow down. They should drive according to the conditions and not the speed limit,” the trooper said.
McGraw said now is a good time to get vehicles ready for winter driving. Tires should be checked and smooth, worn out ones should be replaced. Batteries and antifreeze levels should be checked as well.
This is also a good time to put that winter survival kit in the trunk. The kit should include matches, a candle, a flashlight, some candy bars or other high-energy food, an extra hat, gloves, boots and a blanket.
“It’s good to know where you are on the road,” McGraw said. “If you’re in a snowstorm and go off the road near Guberud Hill and you call 911 on your cell phone, the circuits might be busy and you could get a dispatcher from La Crosse. They probably don’t know where Guberud Hill is. You need to tell them you’re on Highway 44 between Caledonia and Spring Grove.”
McGraw also advised persons remain in their vehicles if they are in an accident or slide off the road. Many persons have been injured or killed by another motorist that loses control on slippery roads and strikes them standing on the side of the road.
“Give snow plows a break,” McGraw continued. “They are out there trying to get the roads in shape for safe driving. There’s usually a cloud of snow kicked up by the plows. It can produce blind spots. And don’t follow right behind the plows. Sometimes it takes time for the salt to cut through the ice. Just because you’re driving right behind a plow doesn’t mean the road isn’t slippery.
“And don’t use your cruise control during rainy or snowy conditions. If you lose traction, the cruise control can put you into a spin,” McGraw warned.
And if you slide off the road or are stranded in a snowstorm, stay in your vehicle. Clear the area around the exhaust pipe of snow.
McGraw also urged motorists to be patient. If you’re following a large, slow-moving farm implement, don’t attempt to pass on hills or if your vision is impaired by fog or precipitation. The same holds true when following a snow plow.
“And please be patient when waiting for law enforcement or a tow truck to arrive. We are all short-handed and sometimes it takes a while for us to get to all the calls, especially during that first big snow.”
Slow down, be extra careful, be patient and be prepared are some of the best words of advise one can give during this time of the year.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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