The calendar may say November but it’s never too early to prep for winter weather and the Illinois Department of Transportation wants you ready to go just in case. The new theme from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Tollway is “Winter Weather—Get it Together.”  

Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman says that preparing for winter is a year-long endeavor for IDOT and says the team at IDOT is ready to take on snow and ice.  IDOT encourages you to plan ahead, reduce speed, increase stopping distance between vehicles, and keep your eyes on the road.  

IDOT offers some other tips towards increasing your safety during winter driving. Practice now your basic winter driving skills and preparing for routine trips to take a little longer to complete. Bookmark https://gettingaroundillinois.com to check travel conditions before heading out, don’t travel during bad weather unless absolutely necessary, give yourself plenty of time, and watch out for black ice. Roads may seem clear but be treacherous.  Be careful around intersections, on ramps, and bridges that may be prone to icing.  Don’t crowd the plow.  Just because you see them doesn’t mean they see you.  Prepare an emergency kit with jumper cables, flares, windshield washer fluid, ice scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food, and a first aid kid.  Always wear your seatbelt, and don’t text and drive.   

IDOT will have more than 1,800 trucks avaialble for deployment as there are more than 17,000 miles of roads statewide.  That is the equivalent of driving back and forth between New York City and Los Angeles three times.  More than 318,600 tons of salt were spread statewide last year.  IDOT is also experiencing a shortage of workers with a CDL.  For more information on available jobs, visit https://illinois.jobs2web.com. 

For more information on driver safety and winter tips, visit this story at www.taylorvilledailynews.com.