Freezing Temps and Wintery Mix Predicted for Paulding. Sheriff Gulledge Reminds Drivers to Slow Down and Drive Safe.
For Immediate Release
Freezing Temps and Wintery Mix Predicted for Metro Atlanta
Paulding County Sheriff Gulledge Reminds Drivers to Slow Down and Live
(Paulding County, GA) The Metro Atlanta forecast predicts a possible winter weather pattern. The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers that these predictions could produce very hazardous driving conditions on the roadways of Paulding County beginning Friday, February 12, 2010, and continuing through next week. The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office is offering these driving tips to help motorist get home safely.
1. If you don’t have to go out in hazardous weather conditions, then stay home! Stay home where it’s warm and you won’t take a chance of crashing on icy roads or being stranded in the cold.
2. If you do have to drive, give it your full concentration. This is no time for distracted drivers with hands full of cell phones and sandwiches. Drive cautiously with both hands on the wheel. Two-fisted drivers are ready for the unexpected when steering becomes a challenge. Buckle Your Safety Belt.
3. Slow down! Driving too fast for conditions is what gets many drivers in trouble when they hit that unseen pocket of icy road. These are days where you leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going. Plan to be patient or don’t plan to leave the house at all.
4. Don’t tailgate or follow too close. Avoid “grouping-up” with a pack of other vehicles, especially at higher speeds. This may help you avoid those terrible chain reaction crashes you see on the news. Buckle your safety belt.
5. Don’t use cruise control when driving on ice, snow, or slush. Cruise control is designed for normal driving conditions. But slippery roads can cause wheel-spin and loss of control when you’re locked in cruise control. And the time it takes to disengage may be time you don’t have during a spin-out.
6. Don’t panic! – Don’t slam on the brakes! If you find yourself sliding or losing control, take your foot off the gas and resist the temptation to slam on the brakes. Sudden braking will only eliminate what little traction you have. Buckle your safety belt.
7. If you start to spin you’re pretty much at the mercy of the ice. But experienced deputies with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) Unit advise you to steer in the direction of the spin until the vehicle comes to a stop. If you’re already driving slowly, this won’t be nearly as terrifying.
8. This brings us back to Safe Winter Driving Tip Number One. H.E.A.T. deputies also advise motorists who insist on driving in winter weather conditions to have at least a half tank of gas, carry a freshly charged cell phone, pack warm clothes and a blanket, and have a working flashlight in their vehicle. Because once you’re stranded during a severe weather episode, it may take emergency services a while to get to you, due to the inclement conditions and the increased number of severe incidents that occur. So Slow Down. Buckle Up & Drive Sober.
For more “Winter Driving Tips” see AAA’s “Get A Grip” and “How to Go On Ice and Snow” at http://www.aaapublicaffairs.com/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=3&SubCategoryID=55
For full details, go to http://local.nixle.com/alert/1161782/