With the days growing shorter and temperatures gradually getting colder, the public is being reminded that it’s time for “Winter Weather – Get it Together.” The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and Illinois Tollway are prepared for whatever snow-and-ice season has in store, but also are asking you to get ready for winter travel over the coming months.
Now is a crucial time to begin practicing basic winter driving skills and preparing for even routine trips to take longer, even though temperatures are above freezing during the day and roads appear clear. As part of the “Winter Weather – Get it Together” campaign, travelers are encouraged to follow these simple guidelines:
Bookmark IDOT’s GettingAroundIllinois.com to check road conditions 24/7 before heading out. Get in the habit of monitoring weather forecasts.
Do not travel during bad weather unless absolutely necessary. If you do have to drive, check the forecast and make sure someone is aware of your route. Familiarize yourself with public transportation and ridesharing options.
Give yourself plenty of extra time. Slow down and increase the distance between other vehicles.
Watch out for black ice. A road may appear clear, but can be treacherous.
Be especially careful when approaching intersections, ramps, bridges and shaded areas that are prone to icing and can become extremely slick.
Don’t crowd the plow. You might see them, but they might not see you. Also, road conditions are much better behind than in front of the plow. Any plow that’s hit is one less resource available to clear the roads.
Prepare an emergency kit with jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, an ice scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food and a first-aid kit.
Always wear a seat belt. It’s the law in Illinois. And it’s your best defense in a crash.
Drop it and drive. Put down the mobile devices. This, too, is the law.
Give them distance. Obey the Move Over law by slowing down and changing lanes when approaching ANY stopped vehicle.
Carry a cell phone charger in case of emergency.
Follow IDOT on Facebook and X to see how the agency is responding to winter weather throughout the state.
For the upcoming winter, IDOT will have more than 1,800 trucks available for deployment to plow almost 45,000 lane miles of roads statewide, the equivalent of driving back and forth between New York City and Los Angeles eight times. Last winter, IDOT crews spread more than 312,000 tons of salt statewide. This winter, salt domes are at capacity, with more than 542,000 tons on hand, a little more than twice the weight of Willis Tower in Chicago.
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