PEORIA, Ill. – Winter weather is on the horizon, and Peoria-area leaders are urging people to remember how to stay safe on the roads.
As part of Winter Weather Preparedness Week, officials from Peoria Public Works, the Peoria County Highway Department, Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Department of Transportation spoke Thursday morning about how to keep people safe on the roads this winter.
Peoria Public Works Deputy Director Sie Maroon says people should not wait in getting ready for winter conditions.
“If you just kind of play it off and say ‘Yeah I’ll get to it next week’ or ‘I’ll get to it in another time,’ next thing you know, that’s that first snow that came down, and you weren’t prepared, you weren’t ready to go,” Maroon said. “And we want to make sure that people are ready to go, that we’re avoiding as much as possible people stranded on the roads.”
Maroon advises people to keep emergency kits in their vehicles in case they are stranded. Other advice given by leaders on Thursday include having fully charged cell phones, keeping at least a half-full tank of gas in your vehicle, and staying in your vehicle if you get into an accident.
The other message driven home by officials was giving snow plows enough room to work when they are clearing roads of snow and ice.
Matthew Shockley of Peoria is a snow plow operator with IDOT, and urges motorists to stay at least 50 feet behind plows when they clear roads.
“That’s a little bit of cushion to give you time to react, and stay away from the snow as we’re pushing it,” Stockley said. “It won’t get into your windshield and stuff like that.”
Shockley advises drivers to also slow down when approaching a snow plow. He says snow plow drivers are mindful and careful on the roads as they control multiple items in the vehicle at once, while looking out for other people and vehicles.
Comments