(Undated)– Thursday’s blizzard conditions that resulted in localized areas of zero visibility caught many motorists off guard, resulting in numerous pileups on roads throughout the region, with injuries reported in some of them. Kevin Krull, a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol, says there are several things to keep in mind if you MUST travel in those conditions…
“Obviously slow down, and then don’t be coming to a complete stop on the roadway because if you become stopped on the roadway somebody else that doesn’t stop might run into the back of you. So make sure if you have to slow down to a real slow speed to get completely off the road rather than being a target sitting in the middle of the road.”
Krull says it’s also important to have your headlights on whenever visibility is limited. Authorities say a number of those who were out in Thursday’s blizzard did not have their headlights on, and that it was likely a contributing factor in at least some of the pileups. They say oftentimes in cases like Thursday, those with newer vehicles with automatic headlights need to override the feature, as oftentimes blowing snow or fog during the day isn’t enough to trigger them on automatically.
