Video: Icy Road Conditions

STARKVILLE, Miss(WCBI)—Our meteorologists always warn us to stay off the roads when driving can be hazardous.

Winter precipitation means safety concerns for drivers.

Remaining safe was the theme today, for Starkville Troop G Highway Patrolmen Chris Turnipseed, as flurries dusted parts of Northern Mississippi.

“We’ve worked multiple accidents over a dozen accidents throughout the district and that’s because people are thinking.. I can drive my normal speed,”said Turnipseed.

According to safe winter dot com more than 116,000 Americans are injured and more than 1,300 are killed due to winter road conditions.

Turnipseed says there are fundamental measures drivers can take to stay safe.

“The most important thing to remember in any driving condition is wear your seat belt. Second is to just slow your speed down… reduce your speed don’t get in a hurry to get some where,”said Turnipseed.

Now, a big “Don’t” for driving on icy roads, that many aren’t aware of, is don’t use cruise control. Cruise control locks your speed in and if your tires loose traction then they will continue to spin and will cause your vehicle to lose traction as well.

With a Second round of a wintry mix south of highway 82, Turnipseed says another huge issue could arise.

“Black ice, a lot of times cause it’s more clear it will assume to color of the high way so you cant see it. it’s not white it’s not frosty looking like sleet or snow is so you don’t see it as easily as you would snow or sleet or something or another and that the hidden kind… the kind that you get a really false sense of security and thing well the roads are dry and clear,”said Turnipseed.

Another tip Trooper Turnipseed added is try to use the lanes that are most traveled in. The heat and movement from the vehicle makes that lane safer.