Due to Icy Roads, Highway Officials Say Drive Slow or Don't Go

By Elizabeth Janney

Because of icy conditions, the State Highway Administration (SHA) asked drivers to stay off the roads until Monday—or, at the very least, to reduce their speeds.

The National Weather Serviceissued a winter storm warning for the Baltimore-Washington area until 10 a.m. Monday due to freezing rain, which may leave one-quarter inch of ice on the roads and cause power outages.

An ice storm is forecast from the I-95 corridor to the west, which will likely cause driving issues Monday morning, according to the SHA, whose crews were salting the roads overnight.

“...any ice on the roads is dangerous, and we ask motorists to avoid travel overnight and into Monday morning if possible," SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters said in a prepared statementissued at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Plow drivers had reported that motorists were driving too fast after the snow stopped Sunday afternoon, according to the SHA, which reminded drivers that speed limits were designed with optimal driving conditions in mind.

"While every effort will be made to keep SHA's roads clear of ice, it only takes a small area of ice to lose control of a vehicle. PLEASE keep your speeds down if you must travel," Peters said.

7 Winter Driving Tips from the SHA

• Leave plenty of distance between vehicles.
• Allow for extra travel time.
• Try to move onto the shoulder if your vehicle becomes disabled.
• Treat traffic lights that are out as four-way stops.
• Be extra alert on ramps, bridges and overpasses, which freeze first.
  
• Buckle up.