• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Warning about winter travel tonight

From the Rock County Sheriff's Department:

Another Winter Weather event is approaching Rock County and will affect travel this afternoon through Tuesday morning. Currently, traffic on I-39/90 and I-43 is moving at normal speeds. All other rural roadways have stretches of ice-covered pavement requiring reduced speed. Travel conditions will worsen this afternoon as rain changes to freezing rain and then snow for the over night hours. Winds speeds by Tuesday morning will exceed 20mph further complicating travel.

Motorists should be aware that travel conditions will change rapidly as temperatures fall back to 32° this afternoon. Icy roadways can be difficult to detect until it’s too late. Bridges and overpasses normally ice up first. Please do not put other operators at risk by passing slower moving vehicles during these conditions.

Pre-travel plans should include checking the vehicles washer fluid reservoir and fuel level. Check cell phones for a full charge and then determine if the travel is worthy of the travel risk. Some automatic headlights will not engage during hours of daylight and must be turned on manually.

Travelers are strongly cautioned:
1. Do not travel unless absolutely necessary. 2. Leave early and allow for allow plenty of extra drive time for any necessary travel. 3. Travel at slow speeds and well below the speed limit. 4. Establish and increased safety zone distance between you and the vehicle you are following, especially snowplow and road salt trucks. 5. Maintain control by making slow, deliberate corrections in direction or speed. 6. Anticipate hazards ahead and take corrective action early. 7. Use extreme caution if you attempt to pass slow moving traffic – snow and slush that accumulates between the lanes may cause you to lose control. 8. Allow for considerable extra time and distance when stopping. 9. Bridges and overpasses may be iced over well before the adjacent roadways. 10. Conditions may change quickly and unpredictably, especially when transitioning to different roadways (interstate vs. state highway vs. county highway vs. town roads vs. city streets and boulevards), different road surfaces, and when crossing jurisdictional boundaries. 11. Keep your gas tank full should you get stuck and need to stay warm, and be sure to keep the area around the muffler clear when running the car while you’re stranded. 12. Carry emergency supplies such as a flashlight, flares, jumper cables, a shovel, tow-strap, blankets, warm clothing and appropriate footwear. 13. Don’t forget to bring your cell phone along should you get stranded.

Drivers should understand that winter weather emergencies often strain government resources and delay the response of all emergency service providers, including police, fire/EMS, snowplows/salt trucks and towing companies. Injury accidents will take priority over run-offs and stalled vehicles, and the response delay in those circumstances may be long.