KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
We've talked a lot this week about being mindful of the layer of ice that's under the snow.
Ahead of another round of potential snow tomorrow, we spoke to a local driving instructor about some things to keep in mind as we get back on the road.
We don’t see road conditions like this often, so it may be hard to remember how to plan for a slick drive or even react if you do find yourself in a scary situation on the ice.
Burdette Driving School owner, Bryan Burdette, says one important reminder is to triple your following distance while driving on icy roads.
“Make sure and give yourself plenty of room, you know, double or triple the following distance behind somebody. Plan ahead. Know where you're going to go,” said Burdette. "I know that I want to turn up here and, you know, a half mile or a mile, so I'm already going to prepare myself and get in that lane.”
He says to pay extra attention to what the road looks like to try and identify ice.
“You just kind of have to read the road,” said Burdette. “If it's shiny, and if it's cold, it's probably ice. If it's not cold, it's probably just wet. If it's a dull color, it still could be ice, but maybe not as slick as the shiny.”
He says if you encounter ice, slow down and don’t make any abrupt movements. If your tires are skidding, slowly turn your wheel in the direction you’re skidding to try to regain control. For snow packed roads, he suggests driving in the tire tracks that you see in the road made by other drivers. That could mean the layer of ice has been melted by the previous tires.
“Generally, you would want to do that, drive in the tire tracks, because it is, more traveled. As cars go by, just, you know, the tires running on the road help warm it up. It helps melt them a little bit,” said Burdette.
Burdette says to slow down when there’s a chance of ice on the roads, and plan for a longer commute.
