Winter Weather Awareness Week

The winter of 2018-19 was one for the record books in Wisconsin, with the state experiencing heavy snowfalls and dangerously cold temperatures brought on by the polar vortex. To help prepare everyone for what to expect in the months ahead, Gov. Tony Evers has declared November 4-8, 2019, Winter Awareness Week in Wisconsin.
This is a good time to make sure your emergency kits are fully supplied, have your furnace serviced and get your vehicle checked out to make sure it’s ready winter road conditions.
Winter emergency kits should include items such as non-perishable food, water, a flashlight and batteries, and blankets. In your vehicle, include a snow shovel, extra gloves and hats, and kitty litter or sand help give your wheels traction on icy roads in case you get stuck.
Winter driving can be extremely hazardous. Between 2014-2018, the Wisconsin Department Transportation says an average of 46 people were killed and almost 4,200 injured each year in crashes on icy or snow-covered roads in the state. On average, there are about 18,000 vehicle crashes in the state each year caused by poor winter driving conditions. Many crashes are caused by “driving too fast for current conditions.” When that first blast of winter arrives, motorists often needs to “re-learn” how to drive in slippery conditions. Be gentle with the accelerator and brake and don’t use cruise control. Four-wheel drive vehicles cannot stop any sooner than other vehicles and they can also lose traction as quickly as a two-wheel drive.
If your vehicle slides off the road, gets stuck, or becomes disabled, stay inside it if at all possible with your seatbelt fastened until a tow truck or other help arrives. If you’re inside your vehicle and buckled up, you have protection against out-of-control vehicles. There’s no protection outside your vehicle.
Tanna McKeon, Green County Emergency Management Director, reminds motorists to keep emergency responders, highway workers or other utility vehicles stopped on the side of the road with its warning lights flashing safe by obeying the Move Over Law. This law requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down to provide a safety zone for them.
Drivers should always check current road conditions before heading out in bad weather. Stay home if you don’t need to be on the road during a severe winter storm. If that’s not an option, carry an emergency kit in your vehicle, drive slow in treacherous conditions, and let people know where you are going and when you expect to arrive. You can check travel conditions for most major roadways in the state by using 511 Wisconsin, which is updated with the latest traffic and road conditions. This information, along with live traffic cameras and traffic alerts, can be accessed through the free 511 Wisconsin mobile app, @511WI on Twitter, or the mobile-friendly site www.511wi.gov.
For more emergency preparedness plans and tips, visit Green County Emergency Management’s website at www.greencountyem.com and Facebook. Another good resource is Ready Wisconsin http://www.readywisconsin.wi.gov.