MONROE — Winter Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin is Nov. 14-18.
Tanna McKeon, Green County Emergency Management Director, reminds local residents to be prepared for the cold winter weather that will soon arrive. Winter weather impacts so many different aspects of our lives — winter storms creating poor to dangerous driving conditions, power outages, ice storms, injuries from shoveling snow or falling on the ice and of course the cold, which can be extremely dangerous to humans and animals too.
In Wisconsin an average of about 41 people are killed each year and more than 3,950 injured in winter-related traffic crashes. Many crashes are caused by driving too fast for conditions. Also, when the first blast of winter arrives, motorists often need to re-learn how to drive in slippery conditions.
Remember these winter driving tips;
● Be gentle with both the accelerator and brake and don’t use cruise control in wintry conditions.
● Don’t be overconfident in with a four-wheel drive vehicle. Four-wheel drive vehicles can lose traction as quickly as two-wheel drive and cannot stop faster.
• Always wear a safety belt. Drivers and passengers need this protection, even in low speed “fender-bender” crashes that frequently occur on slick roads.
● Leave plenty of room for snowplows. By law, vehicles must stay back at least 200 feet from the rear of a snowplow.
● Obey Wisconsin’s “move over” law, which requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down in order to provide a safety zone for a law enforcement vehicle, tow truck, ambulance, fire truck, highway maintenance vehicle or utility vehicle that is stopped on the side of a road with its warning lights flashing.
● Check and winterize vehicles before the winter season begins. Make sure the car battery is in good shape — cold temperatures can reduce the effectiveness of a battery by 50%. Make sure the tires are suitable for winter driving conditions.
Keep a winter emergency kit in the back seat of the vehicle (in case the trunk jams or is frozen shut). This should include; blankets or sleeping bags, extra hats, socks and mittens, flashlight with extra batteries, first-aid kit, shovel, booster cables and windshield scraper, water and high-calorie non-perishable food such as raisins, candy bars, energy/protein bars, sand or cat litter to use for traction, and a cell phone charger.
Much of the same things should also be in a disaster supply kit that is kept in the home. Protect oneself and family with these extra supplies:
● Flashlights and extra batteries
● Battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a commercial radio
● Bottled water and non-perishable food that requires no cooking.
● First-aid supplies
● Fire extinguisher, smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector
● If appropriate, extra medications and baby item
● If there is an emergency heating source such as a fireplace or space heater, make sure it has proper ventilation
● Make sure pets have shelter and plenty of food and water and bring them inside when the temperature reaches 30 degrees with wind chill.
More tips can be found at Green County Emergency Management’s website at www.greencountyem.com, The National Weather Service, https://www.weather.gov/wrn/winter-campaign-sm-plan, Ready Wisconsin, https://readywisconsin.wi.gov and 511 Wisconsin, a 24/7 travel service provided through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation at https://511wi.gov.