The cold and snowy conditions has resulted in several vehicle accidents in our area, including a multi-vehicle pile-up this week that had Indiana toll roads outside of South Bend closed for several hours.
On Saturday, January 17th, Winamac Volunteer Fire Department reported that they responded to three separate incidents before noon: an accident where a car hit a pole around 7 in the morning; a medical call for a fall with injury around 10am, and another vehicle accident with entrapment, just before noon. Winamac Volunteer Fire Department reports that both they and Francesville Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the vehicle accident with entrapment.
The Indiana Department of Transportation has some winter driving safety tips to help prevent accidents such as these.
The winter driving motto of INDOT is “Ice and Snow; take it slow”. They recommend being prepared before leaving the house in winter conditions, including staying updated on the latest weather and travel advisories, giving yourself extra travel time, and keeping a basic winter survival kit in your vehicle.
They warn about black ice and limited visibility, recommending driving slowly even with four-wheel drive — they note that while four-wheel drive may give you more traction to go faster in winter conditions, it doesn’t help you stop sooner.
INDOT recommends driving safely around snow plows, including giving them a lot of distance and not passing on the right side.
Finally, INDOT recommends simple steps such as driving slowly, leaving extra distance between vehicles, and braking slowly and early to prevent sliding.
