Snow Affects Road Safety in West Texas
By: Marianne Elisak
Updated: January 3, 2013
MIDLAND -- People who've experienced the snow in West Texas know that driving in it is one of the worst things to deal with.
Robert Pipes is a Midland resident who says that he welcomes the snow, but when it comes to driving in it, it's another story.
"Rule of thumb that I always do is stay off the road" says Pipes.
Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) officials say that with the potential 1-6 inches of snow expected on Friday morning, drivers need to be cautious when driving.
"Give yourself twice as much time to get to and from work or to and from the places you need to be" says TXDOT Public Information Officer, Gene Powell "the only person that can protect you is you".
TXDOT is doing what they can to keep the roads as safe as possible.
Powell says that they will treat all the overpasses and bridges with Meltdown 20, which is used to prevent ice from forming.
"We'll focus first on over passes and interstates and major highways and once those are clear, then we'll go to smaller roads" says Powell.
But Powell says that no matter how prepared they are, if Mother Nature strikes again with a foot of snow like last year, "it's going to be nasty".
Powell also says to be mindful of the trucks treating roads, as it is important to give them a good bit of distance for safety reasons.
