Drivers: Be cautious in winter weather

The storms that have passed through Mineral County the past two weeks, leaving behind a a blanket of snow, have also left a lot wrecked cars on the side of Interstate 90.

As of Friday, Dec. 7, the Montana Highway Patrol has responded to 34 accidents in the county since Thanksgiving, according to MHP Sergeant Roman Zylawy. He said Mineral County's accident rate is not uncommon for this time of year. The first snowstorms of the year always seems to cause a lot of accidents, as if people have forgotten how to drive in snow over the summer, he said.

"It's human nature. People get accustomed to driving back and forth at 75 miles per hour, then we get a little bit of the weather and they don't remember all the curve balls snow, slush and ice can throw at you," he said.

Zylawy said there have been no fatalities or serious injuries in the 34 accidents because nearly everyone involved had been wearing seat belts. He said buckling up is the simplest way to ensure your safety while driving in winter conditions.

"That's the easiest thing you can do," he said.

Most of the accidents could have been easily avoided if people would have taken simple precautions, said Zylawy. He said most of the accidents occurred because people don't read the conditions and adjust their driving accordingly. He said it is frustrating responding to an accident when it's snowing and the drivers are surprised they hit a patch of snow. "All they need to do is look out the window and see snow falling and interpret it," he said.

While it is easy to read the road conditions during the storm, Zylawy said the roads are still slippery on clear days. "If you go out in the morning and you have to scrape your windshield because there's ice on it, than you can expect there's going to be ice on the roadways," he said.

Zylawy said that people see the wet roads and incorrectly assume that there is no frozen patches.

"People don't have thermometers in their cars, so they don't know when it's right on the cusp of freezing," he said.

He said the past couple of weeks the MHP has responded to several accidents because of black ice. He said the roads can look like they're dark and wet, but there is actually a thin film of ice on them, especially on bridges where there is no ground heat to keep the water from freezing. "It just sets up like a little ice rink on the bridges," he said.

Zylawy said that people should slow down before they get to the bridge. He said if they wait to slow down once on the bridge than it's already too late.

Slowing down is another obvious and easy solution to avoid accidents during the winter months, Zylawy said. He said most accidents are caused because people are driving too fast for the conditions. He said during the winter months, the correct speed can be well under the posted speed limit. He said it is common for people to get stuck behind a slow driver, grow impatient and make passes at inopportune times. Such maneuvers not only put their own lives at risk, but also the lives of the people they are passing, he said.

Zylawy said that people need to be careful passing people because the left lane collects more snow and slush than the right lane. He said people need to use "strategic foresight" before they pass. "If you're going to pass, you need to plan your pass for a straightaway, when you know you can keep your car under better control," he said. Zylawy said simple "laws of physics" makes cars more vulnerable to losing control when they're rounding curves. He said he has responded to too many accidents to count from people coming down Lookout Pass and trying to round the sharp curves too fast.

"People need to know their limitations," Zylawy said. He said people need to assess their driving abilities and experience and drive within their limits. He said most accidents occur because people are pushing these limits. He said people not only need to know their limits, but they also must know the limits of their cars, tires and the road conditions. "Tires definitely make a difference," he said.

He said people should have snow tires with good tread. He said the penny test - measuring the thickness of tread against Lincoln's head on a penny - still holds up for checking the tire's tread.

Zylawy said people should also give themselves extra time to go somewhere, so they can drive more carefully. "Expect the unexpected," Zylawy said. He said the weather is always changing and just because it's sunny in Superior doesn't mean it's not snowing in St. Regis. "Short of the state building a roof over every interstate, it's weather, it's outdoors and it can change," he said.