Safety is a year-round duty
As county roads are hit heavily by Mother Nature’s fury, drivers must remain alert and take necessary precautions to avoid accidents.
According to general forecaster for the National Weather Service Jeff Kitsmiller, the increase of precipitation and decrease in temperatures over the past two weeks is a result of a large trough of low pressure over the western United States, caused by storms from the Pacific Ocean.
Kitsmiller said the temperatures are 15 percent below the county’s average, and will continue for the next month. The average high temperatures during this time have historically ranged from the upper 20s to the lower 30s, Kitsmiller said. The average low temperatures usually fall in the teens, he said.
He recommended drivers reduce speeds during this snow spell, and carry an emergency kit, along with extra water or a lighter and dish to melt snow should a driver become stranded. He also suggested keeping sand for traction and a flashlight in automobiles, as a proactive precautionary measure.
Charity Watt Levis, public information officer for the Montana Department of Transportation, said it is essential that drivers remain in their vehicles to wait for help if they are on a well-traveled road. She added that knowing your vehicle’s brake system and making sure the vehicle is in good working order will also help detour accidents.
According to the MDOT website, a driver should take extra precaution if they are considering passing a snow plow, for their drivers often have trouble seeing cars.
The website also encourages drivers to stay at least five seconds behind all snow plows.
“People get anxious and mad,” said Jack May, acting maintenance chief for Missoula District Department of Transportation Kalispell Division. “These guys are here to help. They’ve been out there for hours and hours in the blinding snow.”
May said personnel within his department are on call 24/7 to plow the roads. He said the department has a “bare-road policy,” in which roads within their jurisdiction are plowed whenever there is any snow accumulation.
“I recommend people stay back and let the plow do its work,” he said. “Then follow it, and don’t try to pass a wing plow.”
The MDOT website also advises drivers to check road conditions on-line at www.mdt511.com, or by phone at 800-226-7623, and to adjust traveling schedules to meet all predicted delays.
“Motorists can help ensure a safer winter driving experience if they are prepared, alert and cautious,” the website says, going on to cite proper tire traction as a safety measure.
Studded tires can be used in Montana from Oct. 1 through May 31. The MDOT website says studded tires are 218 percent more effective than conventional tires and tirechains are 630 percent more effective.
If a car becomes stuck in the snow, the website encourages drives to try rocking the vehicle by alternating from forward drive to reverse, but not spinning tires for this will only cause the vehicle to sink further into the snow.
It is also essential that drivers adjust their speeds to compensate for poor road conditions. According to Montana Law, beginning at 61-8-303 of the Montana Code Annotated, drivers may be stopped for traveling too fast for conditions or driving dangerously - regardless of whether or not the driver is not speeding.
“Curvy, mountainous roads and weather… require drivers to be alert to conditions at all times and to adjust speeds accordingly,” the MDOT site explains.
The website says cars traveling 40 mph take 110 feet to stop on dry pavement, 200 feet on wet pavement, 350 feet in gravel and 770 feet on ice. Of the 21,829 weather-related crashes in Montana during 2007: 14,649 were on dry roads, 2,618 on icey roads, 1,978 on wet roads and 1,714 on snowy or slushy roads - according to the Montana Highway Patrol 2007 Annual Report.
Of the 42,569 driver-related accidents during 2007, 6,978 were do to inattentive driving, 6,018 careless driving, 3,545 speeding and 1,939 involved alcohol usage.
“Drive sober and sensibly,” Watt Levis said, adding the importance of seatbelts.
She said of vehicle occupant fatalities during this year, to date, 77 percent were not wearing seatbelts. Montana state law requires all passengers to where seat belts - yet a driver can not be pulled over for this reason.
There were a total of 492 crashes in Lake County in 2007, with eight fatalities and 182 injuries, according to the MHP 2007 report. The report goes on to cite an average of 60 crashes per day in Montana, with one fatality every 30 hours.
According to MDOT data, there is no trend of an increase in automobile accidents during any given season, yet several factors contribute to collisions, fatalities and crashes. Montana has the highest alcohol related fatality rate in the nation per vehicular mile traveled, according to the MDOT website. A fourth or subsequent DUI is a felony. To report drunk or erratic drivers call the MHP at 800-525-5555.
Other factors that contribute to accidents include wildlife. According to the MHP annual report: 2,001 accidents were cause by wild animals in 2007.
Among the 242 statewide motorcycle accidents, 279 people involved were not wearing helmets, according to the MHP 2007 report.
The numbers say this: It is important to drive safely at any time of the year, paying special attention to drivers, your vehicle and road conditions, to avoid injuries to yourself and others.