Driving Safety Home: Your decisions are key with winter at hand

By Dallas Hammit / ADOT Deputy Director for Transportation

ADOT crews are ready for what’s ahead this winter. In fact, they prepare year round for the snow and ice. The agency has 400 commercially licensed snowplow drivers and nearly 200 snowplows in its fleet.

While the work those snowplow drivers do is vital for keeping our roads drivable and safe all season, the decisions everyone else makes on the road are equally important.

Please take a moment to review the safety tips below and be sure to share with family and friends.

• Slow Down and Leave Extra Room: Adjust your speed to conditions. Driving slower and leaving space between your vehicle and others when snow and ice are present can improve your ability to brake and prevent skids.
• Leave Prepared: Dress for cold weather, bring extra clothes and gloves, be sure your cellphone is charged, and pack food, water and necessary medications. Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition, starting with the battery, heater/defroster, wiper blades, wiper fluid and brakes.
• Pack an Emergency Kit: For starters, take blankets, a flashlight, an ice scraper, a small shovel, a container of sand for traction and hazard lights or reflectors in case your vehicle becomes disabled.Beware of Black Ice: Black ice tends to form at night when melting snow freezes and is especially common on bridges.
• Stay Up to Date: Visit ADOT’s Travel Information site at az511.gov or call 511 to get the latest highway conditions, and pay attention to messages on overhead boards. ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT) is an excellent source of information and answers about highway conditions.

Please find more winter driving information, including videos, infographics and blog posts at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

Editor's Note: More safety messages from Dallas Hammit, ADOT's state engineer, are available at Driving Safety Home on azdot.gov.