CDOT Ready for Snow; Round Two
“Luckily, Tuesday's warmer temperatures gave us time to rest, restock solid and liquid deicers and get any necessary repairs done to our plow trucks before the snow hit Wednesday and continues for the next several days," said Mike O'Neill, CDOT Region 1 Deputy Director of Maintenance. "We are asking for the same level of preparedness from drivers. We cannot stress enough the need for folks to know the conditions, prepare their vehicles with good snow tires and topped up fluids, and drive for the conditions."
Region 1 maintenance started full snow shift with about 106 employees and pieces of snow removal equipment in the Denver metro area working 12-hour shifts around the clock throughout the storm event. Drivers should familiarize themselves with the following winter driving tips to prepare:
Ø Log on to CDOT’s Winter Driving web page at: http://www.codot.info/
Ø Be sure you have good snow tires. How do you know if you need new snow tires? Insert a quarter into the tire tread upside down, with Washington’s head going in first; if the top of George’s head is covered by the tread, your tires are OK (do this test in multiple points around each tire.) If the top of his head is visible at any point, you need new tires.
Ø Always keep the top half of your gas tank full. It can give you better traction and gives you a bigger margin of error if you get stuck and have to keep the engine running periodically to keep warm.
Ø If you are stuck in a serious storm do not leave your car. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.
Ø Carry blankets, water, a flashlight, a shovel, some nutrition bars or other food for sustenance. Winterize your vehicle's safety kit by including extra blankets, sand to help gain traction in the event you become stuck on ice or snow, jumper cables, an ice scraper and lock deicer.
Ø Remember that 4-wheel drive does not mean 4-wheel stop. A 4-wheel drive vehicle will not stop any better in icy conditions, especially if you have inadequate snow tires.
Ø Know the chain laws. Chain restrictions in Colorado are most often put into effect for commercial vehicles (semi-trailer trucks) and do not usually affect passenger vehicles.
Ø Drive for the conditions. In poor visibility or even whiteout conditions, don't drive faster than you can see ahead. High speeds in poor or no visibility can lead to large chain reaction accidents.
Ø In addition to these winter driving tips, CDOT reminds all motorists to respect winter weather, conduct a pre-trip inspection of your vehicle, and leave extra space between your automobile and others on the road (including plow trucks). Of course, always buckle up!
The public can find winter driving tips online at http://www.coloradodot.info/
