Highway Patrol Offers Winter Driving Advice

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Ohio Winters can bring winter precipitation at a moment’s notice and winter precipitation can cause roadways to become very slippery. Ohio State Highway Patrol Public Affairs Unit Sgt. Tyler Ross took time to offer some helpful advice on how to handle winter challenges.

“We always look at the three P’s. So we have Planning, Preparation and Patience,” Ross said. “So the Planning P is give yourself enough time to get to and from your destination. If you have to find an alternate route or modify your route, give yourself enough time to do so whether that’s a road closure because of a crash, because of inclement weather, you know whether it’s a work zone, anything like that, give yourself enough time to adapt.”

The second P is Preparation. Make sure your vehicle is adequately equipped to perform safely under adverse conditions and has extra blankets and enough fuel to keep you warm in case of an unexpected delay.

“And then that Patience piece. Inevitably you might run into a road closure, you might run into a… Don’t be aggressive. Don’t be an offensive driver. Have patience. Understand that everybody’s got the same goal in mind,” Ross said.

Last winter the state patrol reported nearly 13,000 crashes on snow, ice or slush covered roadways that caused over 3,300 injuries and 17 fatalities. Planning ahead, Preparing your vehicle and driving Patiently can save you time and money by reducing your chances of becoming a winter driving statistic.