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Winter Driving
Take Precautions to Stay Safe While on the Road
By Lisa Marie Metzler
It was 2 o'clock in the morning. The rain was falling and the temperatures were dropping fast on the lonely Wisconsin Interstate. The road froze and turned to black ice. Shelly Wallman from Benzonia, Mich., was traveling with her mother and two children on that night. "When we crossed the bridge, the wind picked up and blew our minivan around," she says. "We spun around several times before ending up in the ditch."
Fortunately, no one was hurt. A man driving that night, who was helping other stranded travelers, found the Wallmans almost immediately. He wasn't able to pull them out of the ditch, but he did call the highway patrol from his ham radio. Eventually, the minivan was pulled out undamaged. Although the Wallmans were helped by their "angel," as Wallman says, some stranded motorists may have to wait several hours for help.
"The No. 1 recommendation we have is to have a cell phone with you when your travel," says Joe Brone, under sheriff of the Benzie County Sheriff Department in Michigan. "If that is not possible, then turn on your hazard lights and stay inside the car with your doors locked. If someone stops and offers to help, roll down your window a bit and ask the person to call for help." Brone also emphasizes that women should not be afraid to ask for an officer to come to the car and stay with them until the tow truck or other assistance arrives.
John Wehr, branch manager of the Traverse City, Mich., AAA Auto Club, recommends that you stay with your car and not accept rides from strangers. "Instead, carefully walk to a nearby public phone, or get the attention of a law enforcement officer," he says. AAA also suggests that you "[b]e aware of landmarks, buildings, highway numbers. This information is important when summoning assistance. If your car loses power in the middle of the road and you are unable to steer to the side of the road, then set the emergency brake and place warning triangles or flares well behind the traffic. If you or your vehicle could be struck by traffic, leave your vehicle for a place of safety."
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