Friday is the final day of Winter Hazard Awareness Week, and today’s message is all about driving safety in the snow.

So far this year, speed has been a major factor in a lot of non-fatal and fatal car crashes. Even if it’s a warmer or sunny day, snow on the ground can melt, but as temperatures drop throughout the day, it can freeze, creating black ice on the roads.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says to slow down and remember that you don’t know how much driving experience other drivers on the road have.

“Winter driving can be a challenge, and I always remind myself that there are people who turned 16 over the summer who’s never driven in snow, and as we saw last weekend with a little bit of ice, we had some fairly big accidents,” says Kevin Reed, MN DPS Homeland Security and Emergency Management Deputy Director. “Just be careful when you start to drive for that first time in snow. Slow down, give yourself some distance.”

“Roadways can become slippery, can become dangerous,” says Jory Danielson, Crow Wing County Maintenance Supervisor. “We’re slowly entering in our busy travel holiday season here, where we’re gonna see more people on the roads moving, visiting, and we just want to make sure that the message is getting out to everybody to slow down, drive the conditions, buckle up, don’t drive distracted or impaired, and really, get there safe.”

In the event that you are in a car crash, the Department of Public Safety encourages you to have boots, blankets, and a phone charger in your car. They also say to never leave your vehicle, as drivers behind you could encounter the same problem.

By — Lakeland News