A frozen over speed limit sign in the Little Chute area. (IMAGE: Courtesy of Fox Valley Metro Police)
LITTLE CHUTE, WI (WTAQ) – As more rain and snow, as well as below-freezing overnight temperatures are expected this weekend, local police departments are urging drivers to be cautious and take things slow on the roads.
Snow, slush, and ice are all too familiar for drivers in Wisconsin. But that doesn’t mean we should disregard when roads start getting slick.
“We had kind of a mix of rain and snow, and we’ve had the ongoing freezing fog as of late that has really made it slick in spots. Just because you think the road is clear and safe to be operating on, there might be spots that are slippery that might catch you off-guard,” said Fox Valley Metro Police Lieutenant Mark Wery. “If it feels like you aren’t able to maintain control in whatever area or neighborhood you’re in, you’re probably right. You probably should slow down.”
Oftentimes, people are trying to get to work on time or rush to get home. But not leaving a little bit of buffer time during the winter months could prove to be a bad idea.
“If the speed limit is posted at 35 [miles per hour], that’s on dry pavement. That’s in the middle of summer when it’s optimum driving conditions,” Wery told WTAQ News.
Most Wisconsinites have dealt with slick road conditions at some point, but having too much confidence in your driving ability or your vehicle’s traction could put you in the ditch.
“[Saying] ‘I live in Wisconsin, I know how to drive in these conditions. The road appears to be relatively clear’…We’re all probably guilty of it. When we get the really bad snowstorms, of course people say ‘You know what? I’m just going to stay off the roadway. I’m just going to stay home or really slow down’,” Wery said. “It’s really these smaller ones sometimes that I think can be deceiving to people because they perceive it as not being a big issue. The ‘I’ve got this’ mentality, and off they go. They don’t leave themselves that extra time or slow down, and I think it just sneaks up on people.”
Every year, there is the overconfidence of having vehicles like larger trucks to blaze through the snow. Wery says four-wheel drive is definitely helpful for locking in traction and getting your vehicle going, but it’s not the answer to everything.
“The issue with four-wheel drive is that it gives people that false sense of security that they won’t be sliding off the road,” Wery said. “Four-wheel drive does nothing when it comes to stopping. If you do hit a completely ice-covered location, it’s going to do next-to-nothing to help your traction on the roadway.”
It’s also a good idea to avoid snow drifts, unless you want an impromptu tutorial on how to drift your car. Drifting and blowing snow and ice can also cover road signs and signals, which could be a problem if you’re unfamiliar with a particular area.
“We do try to clean those off if we have the opportunity to do so. Particularly now with the new LED traffic lights, they don’t give off as much heat, so they can sometimes get jammed up and you aren’t able to see the colors being projected,” Wery said. “It’s 2021, most people have a GPS right there on their smartphone. I know if I look down [I’ll see] what the speed limit is on the road I’m operating on. So there are a lot of things you can do, take it slow.”
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