tamatoledonews.com – AMES (SPECIAL) – Even with afternoon temperatures in the 70s, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is ready for the coming winter weather and advises motorists to also prepare. While construction activities will continue as long as the weather permits, Friday October 15 marked the official start of the Iowa DOT’s winter weather season.

How the Iowa DOT prepares for winter

Annette Dunn, the Iowa DOT’s winter operations administrator, says, “The Iowa DOT’s maintenance facilities are prepared for the challenges of winter weather in Iowa. The Iowa DOT’s 110 maintenance garages employ approximately 1,200 equipment operators, mechanics and supervisors to keep the agency’s 900 trucks, 53 motor graders and 11 heavy-duty, self-propelled snow blowers on the road during a winter weather event.”

The Iowa DOT has stockpiled approximately 210,000 tons of salt and nearly 2.5 million gallons of salt brine to help maintain safe travel on the more than 9,400 mile-Primary Highway System (interstate, U.S. and Iowa routes).

The Iowa DOT uses salt brine, a mixture of rock salt and water, to help with snow and ice removal. Salt brine can be used to pretreat roadways before a storm to help prevent a bond from forming between the pavement and the precipitation. Brine is also used to prewet salt before it leaves the truck, giving the salt a jump start on its ability to melt snow and ice, and helping to keep the material on the roadway.

You may also see Iowa DOT trucks spraying brine on bridge decks and other areas prone to frost on days when no snow or ice is in the forecast. This pretreatment prevents the formation of frost, which typically occurs on cold, clear nights. An unexpected encounter with a frost-covered bridge or roadway can be particularly treacherous when traveling at higher rates of speed, which makes maintaining control of your vehicle more difficult.

The Iowa DOT is assisted in determining when to apply brine to bridges and roadways through use of customized weather forecasts that predict when frost is most likely to form.

What you can do to prepare

Winterize your vehicle now, before winter weather threatens. To minimize the possibility of a breakdown, get your vehicle tuned up. Check your vehicle’s wipers, hoses, battery, alternator, belts, tires, brakes, exhaust system, lights, and fluid levels. Make sure your vehicle’s heater and defroster are in good working order. A breakdown is frustrating on a good day, but can be dangerous during a snow storm.

Time to kick your winter driving skills into gear

The switch from driving on dry roadways to slick surfaces requires an adjustment in your driving behaviors. Here are some very simple changes that drivers can make to adjust to winter driving.

1.Turn off the cruise control; it is not suitable for winter driving.

2.Adjust your vehicle’s speed for conditions. Just because the sign says 70 mph does not mean that conditions are safe to drive at that speed. Remember the simple slogan, “Ice and Snow …Take It Slow.”

3.Increase your following distance. If the driver ahead loses control of their vehicle, do you have enough space to avoid a collision and maintain control of your vehicle?

4.Allow extra time to reach your destination. Vehicles do not respond well to sudden steering, braking or acceleration on ice and snow.

5. Do not become over confident because of the type of vehicle you drive. After a major snowstorm, most vehicles that end up in the ditch are SUVs and all- or four-wheel-drive vehicles. These vehicles may help you accelerate or get unstuck, but they do not help to stop or steer on snow and ice. In fact, the heavier the vehicle, the longer it will take to stop. And high-profile vehicles are more prone to rollovers.

For more information about winter preparedness and the Iowa DOT’s snow and ice control program, contact Annette Dunn at 515-239-1355 or 515-290-2713 or check the DOT’s Web site at www.dot.state.ia.us/maintenance/index.htm