12/27/2007
ITD urges drivers to turn off cruise control, stay alert
RIGBY - With the snowstorms moving across Idaho this week, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) urges motorists to refrain from using cruise control on their car.
Using cruise control can cause wheel spin and limit a driver's ability to sense and respond to road conditions.
Turning off cruise control helps drivers remain in control of their vehicles.
Road surfaces often experience freeze-thaw cycles when temperatures bounce between a few degrees below freezing and a few degrees above it. Constant freezing and thawing can create slick patches. Temperatures hovering in that range also can cause icing of wheel tracks on even the busiest highways.
Warm pavement temperatures also can lead to slippery conditions, when blowing or drifting snow sticks to roadways and freezes.
Before traveling, please consult ITD's 511 Traveler Services, which provides up-to-date information on highway conditions as well as information about weather, detours and lane closures. Simply dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov.
To access Idaho's 511 Traveler Service when out of state, dial 1-888-432-7623, a toll-free number.
ITD offers the following winter safe-driving guidelines:
- Slow down and stay behind snowplows. Drivers should allow at least two car lengths behind snowplows for every 10 mph of vehicle speed.
- Anticipate black ice on bridge decks and on entrance and exit ramps.
- Turn on headlights.
- Turn off cruise control settings.