WINTER DRIVING What to do

Ohio Department of Transportation recommends these tips for safe winter driving:
Winterize vehicles before bad weather hits. Many motorists find themselves stuck or stranded each winter because of vehicle trouble that could have been avoided by simple preventive maintenance.
Slow down. Slick pavement means reduced traction and loss of control. On snow or ice, there is no way the posted speed limit is a safe speed.
Leave early. Expect any trip to take twice as long as normal.
Stay home when police and weather officials issue weather storm alerts. If you are at work and road conditions suddenly become impassable, stay where you are.
Increase distance between your vehicle and others. It can take from three to 10 times farther to stop on winter-slick pavement than on a dry road. Therefore, you must allow a much bigger gap between yourself and the car ahead of you.
Watch out for ice on bridges and overpasses. They freeze before other road surfaces because the air passing causes surface of bridges and overpasses to cool quicker. Also be cautious of shaded areas that do not receive sunlight and drifted areas along the road.
Call ODOT with information about highways that are in poor condition.
Call police or the highway patrol for help when medical emergencies occur in areas where roads have not been treated.