CHP Winter Warnings
San Andreas, CA– With the recent snowfall in the Mother Lode, more vehicles are being seen throughout the area with mounds of snow on them.
The CHP is reminding motorists to make sure they remove excess snow from their vehicles as it could cause a dangerous driving situation for other drivers.
“Every year we are called to accidents where chunks of ice and snow fall off of vehicles breaking the windshield of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction,” said CHP San Andreas Commander T.R Port. “The snow is considered part of your vehicle’s load and you can be cited for losing that chunk of ice and snow from your vehicle.”
The CHP also says that motorists need to realize that the mound of snow in the road can now become black ice. Black ice forms when rain or melted snow freezes on the roadway. Typically this happens in the early morning hours or in the shade portions of the roadway where the sun has yet to thaw the road.
The CHP suggests that any driver who finds themselves losing traction after slipping on black ice to not hit their brakes, but instead release the gas pedal until they can regain control and steer into the slide to keep their vehicle headed straight. Sudden braking can lead to a loss of vehicle control.
Written by tina.falco@mlode.com
