With colder temperatures settling in and snow appearing in forecasts in Northern Illinois, Illinois transportation and public safety officials are urging residents to prepare for winter travel as part of the statewide “Winter Weather – Get it Together” campaign.
Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said IDOT has been preparing year-round by bringing in extra help, stocking materials and readying equipment. She emphasized that drivers also play a crucial role by taking simple steps to stay safe on the road.
Officials recommend checking road conditions at GettingAroundIllinois.com, allowing extra travel time, slowing down, increasing following distance, and assembling an emergency kit with essentials like blankets, jumper cables, food, and an ice scraper. Motorists should inspect batteries, belts, lights, and tire pressure, watch for black ice, and use caution on bridges, ramps, and shaded areas.
Drivers are urged to avoid travel during severe weather when possible and to let someone know their route if they must be out. They are also reminded to give snowplows plenty of space, obey the Move Over law, wear seat belts, and avoid using mobile devices while driving.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly noted that troopers handle hundreds of winter-related crashes each year, stressing that slower speeds save lives.
This winter, IDOT has nearly 1,900 plow trucks ready to clear more than 45,000 lane miles and has stockpiled over 542,000 tons of salt statewide. The Illinois Tollway will deploy 196 snowplows and has 105,000 tons of salt on hand to support its 1.6 million daily drivers. Tollway customers can call *999 if stranded and can check real-time conditions via Tollway Trip Tweets.
IDOT continues hiring for winter operations, with job postings available at illinois.jobs2web.com and on the agency’s Employment page.