Driving On Icy Roads

Law enforcement officials usually tell us when there is snow to take it slow on our roadways, but driving with icy roads means going really slow. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Ryan Waldschmidt says when there are icy conditions it’s hard to judge whether roads have been treated or you are encountering black ice.  He says, “If it is wet it probably has been treated with salt, but there may be stretches that didn’t get the salt treatment or you may turn onto another road that hasn’t been treated yet. You might go from wet conditions to glare ice real quickly and again you have to be able to respond to that. These are all common scenarios when we have ice glazing on our highways.” Waldschmidt recommends staying with your vehicle if you go off the road unless you can safely exit your vehicle and get to a place nearby that is warm and out of the elements. He says, “Otherwise if you are out in the country and there is not a lot around you then it is probably safe to stay in your vehicle so again if someone loses control where you did and slides off the roadway that they hit your vehicle and not you outside your vehicle.” Waldschmidt also says when it is icy to go slower than the normal speed limit, because those speeds are suggested for dry road conditions. (Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s photo)