With the slippery, hard compacted snow and ice the Crookston Police Department urges caution to avoid accidents and get home safely. These conditions reduce traction, changes response time to hazards and makes your vehicle tougher to control. The stopping distance required on hard-compacted snow and ice is twice the amount required at 32 degrees on the same surface. Chief Paul Biermaier shares a few tips for safe driving. “The roads are covered with that hard-compact snow and ice meaning our vehicles need more time to respond, we can’t stop as quickly,” said Biermaier. “A couple of things, you’ve got to have the tires inflated properly and they have to have some good tread. If your driving skills are the best in winter time, you may need to consider snow tires to give you that extra grip and extra maneuverability if you have to turn more quickly. The safety stuff right off the bat you have to get your windshield cleaned off, and your side windows too. And make sure your windshield wipers work properly and are in good condition. Last on the basic safety is to make sure you let your vehicle warm up. Getting into a cold vehicle taking off right away all of your systems probably don’t have an opportunity to work properly so let your vehicle warm up a little bit.”
Driving for conditions is also important, “we’ve just got to slow down,” said Biermaier. “Slowing down is the biggest key to maintaining control of your vehicle on these snowy and icy roads. You have to adjust your speed to account for that lower traction and lower maneuverability on the snow and ice.”
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