ST. GEORGE —While some desert dwellers are ready for cooler temps, Sunday was an icy reminder of how winter storms can instantly create hazardous conditions for drivers.
Trooper Quincy Breuer with the Utah Highway Patrol said multiple crashes were seen along I-15 near Beaver Sunday morning, putting traffic on the snowy roads to a dead stop for about an hour.
“All crashes were minor injuries, nothing major, but all have been cleared and traffic is moving again,” Breuer said.
While Breuer didn’t have specifics on the individual crashes, he said there were roughly five crashes that included semi-trucks, trucks pulling trailers and passenger vehicles.
Multiple additional crashes were reported after the initial five, including I-15 mile markers 61 and 12 in Iron County. To see a live list of crashes, see the UDOT Traffic Twitter page or visit the UDOT Traffic website.
“As we’re driving in these winter conditions we want to make sure that our vehicles are prepared,” Breuer said. “That we have good tires, snow tires, our windshield wiper blades are good, increase our following distance, slow down and plan ahead for our travels.”
Breuer also said it’s a good idea to keep water, winter clothes, food and blankets in vehicles in the event people get stuck or stranded in winter conditions.
The following vehicle preparation and safety precaution recommendations for winter have been lifted from the Washington County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue website, the Center for Disease Control’s emergency winter weather checklist and the U.S. Search and Rescue Task Force’s website on blizzard preparedness.
Stay in your vehicle
- Disorientation occurs quickly in wind-driven snow and cold.
- Run the motor about ten minutes each hour for heat.
- Open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked.
- Make yourself visible to rescuers.
- Turn on the dome light at night when running the engine.
- Tie a colored cloth (preferably red) to your antenna or door.
- Raise the hood indicating trouble after snow stops falling.
- Exercise from time to time, by vigorously moving arms, legs, fingers and toes to keep blood circulating and to keep warm.
- Wear a hat, half your body heat loss can be from the head.
- Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold.
- Mittens, snug at the wrist, are better than gloves.
- Loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing in several layers is best, trapped air insulates and layers can be removed to avoid perspiration and subsequent chills.
- Outer garments should be tightly woven, water-repellent and hooded.
- Safely removing tires and upholstery from your vehicle and lighting them on fire in a cleared area will create smoke to facilitate being located.
Supplies recommended to be kept in your vehicle in case of emergencies:
- Cell phone; portable charger and extra batteries
- Windshield scraper
- Battery-powered radio, extra batteries
- Flashlights, extra batteries
- Snack food
- Extra hats, coats, mittens, change of clothes
- Blankets
- Chains or rope
- Tire chains
- Spare gas
- Canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
- Road salt and sand
- Booster/jumper cables
- Emergency flares
- Bright colored flag; help signs
- Lighter / Matches (waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water)
- First Aid kit – (Basic First Aid courses are recommended)
- Spare water
- Hi-lift jack
- Spare tire with keys for locking lug nuts
- Spare keys
- Shovel
- Tow strap
- Tool kit
- Duct tape
- Trash bags
- Road maps
- Compass
- Towels, paper towels
The list is simply suggestions, in no particular order of priority, and should not be presumed to be complete.
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