Last Sunday morning, on Interstate-80, a couple rolled their car due to icy conditions. A patch of ice on the road caused the driver to lose control. His car slid off the left side of the road, spun 180 degrees, and then rolled onto its roof. His passenger was not wearing a seat belt, and was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver had been wearing a seat belt, but was still critically injured. An ambulance took him to the University Hospital.
We sincerely hope the driver makes a full recovery. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of his passenger.
These winter conditions can be extremely dangerous to drivers. Here are a few safety tips to remember when you are on the road in ice according to icyroadsafety.com:
- Wait for conditions to improve! The best way to avoid an accident, is to simply stay away until better conditions.
- Take it slow! Even on highways, keep it below 45 mph when the roads are icy. There is no way to control a vehicle on icy roads, going fast, no matter how experienced a driver you are.
- Wear your seat belt! Which you should do all the time, but especially during the winter when unexpected accidents occur because of weather.
- Go easy on your breaks! Even ABS (antilock brakes) sometimes lock up your wheels on ice and snow. Be careful with their use
- Don’t Stop. If you see an accident on the side of the road, the best thing you can do is call the authorities. You stopping will add to problems on icy roads.