By Amanda Mears

December 13, 2007 | With the winter snowstorms coming and accidents on the rise, Cache County sheriff's chief deputy Dave Bennett said drivers need to slow down in order to avoid sliding off the road and hitting other cars.

"People get used to driving in summer weather," Bennett said. "It takes people a couple months to get used to driving in snowstorms."

Bennett said that because of this, he definitely sees a lot more accidents in the early months of winter. Although Bennett said most accidents are minor, they can still be dangerous and inconvenient.

"There are a lot of accidents in the canyon," Bennett said, "because trees shade the road and it becomes icy."

Sometimes canyon accidents can even cause the whole road to shut down, causing major traffic delays for people trying to travel in and out of Logan, said Bennett

"About once or twice a year we get a really bad snow storm and the plows just can't keep up," Bennett said. "Then it has to be shut down."

Salt Lake City resident Billy Wheeler, 21, said he drives up to Logan about once a week and has noticed during snow storms the canyon becomes much harder to drive through.

"I hate having to drive through the canyon, it's the worst part," Wheeler said. "I just try to slow down and pay attention to the cars around me."

Along with being attentive to other cars on the road, Bennett said drivers need to try and work with the weather instead of against it.

"The weather is unpredictable," Bennett said, "so before you go somewhere just look out the window and if it's snowing, leave early so speeds can slow down."

Bennett recommends going five to ten miles under the speed limit when it is snowing or icy and warns against following other drivers too closely. By doing this, Bennett says drivers can reduce the risk of serious injury even if an accident does happen.

For some Logan residents, simply staying off the roads as much as possible during winter months is the best bet.

"When it snows hard in Logan, it's a mess," said Deven Boyer, a junior majoring in business at USU. "It seems to take them a really long time to plow the roads and main street is always horrible. I try and avoid it at all costs."

For those who can't stay inside during the busy holiday season, Bennett has some words of advice.

"The main thing is people have got to learn to slow down when they are driving in snow," Bennett said. "Most accidents are not really accidents because they can be prevented, just back off a little."

MS
MS