Feb 13, 2007 12:43 pm US/Eastern
Drivers Warned To Take It Slow In Winter Weather
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
As the snow continues to fall throughout the day forecasters warn that it could change to a mix of sleet and freezing rain, which could make travel on the roads dangerous.
Drivers across the area are reporting that the roads are getting more treacherous as the snow continues to fall.
"I went in about 5:30 and 5:45 and the roads in Mount Lebanon are clear, but when I hit Banksville it was snow covered. Downtown was fine, and I'm headed out to the South Hills now," says one driver. "It's much more treacherous now than it was earlier."
"If it's a sheet of ice, there's not a whole lot you can do except get the speed really down, way down," said Dave Aites, a instructor with KDT Driver Training.
Aites says he believes ice is the worst surface to drive on.
"My best recommendation for ice… is stay home," he added.
In the midst of Pittsburgh's latest winter blast he offers a refresher course on how to handle big snow or ice storms if you have to be out on the roads.
"If you're going through a turn or a curve and the back end of the car starts to slide, you're going to turn the wheel gently and only a slight amount in the direction that the back end of the car is going," said Aites.
Experts also recommend keeping a bag of salt, sand, or even kitty litter in your trunk, that helps to weigh it down and use it for traction if you get stuck.
Tire chains are good on ice as are studded tires.
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