CHP urges Northstate drivers to remain cautious as winter storms approach

NORTHSTATE, Calif. — The weekend will bring significant valley rain and mountain snow in the form of two storm systems sweeping through the Northstate, creating particularly hazardous road conditions.

For many rural communities, the standard advice of staying off the roads altogether can be challenging. Accordingly, the best practice is to travel slowly and safely, by packing your car with supplies should you be stuck on the roads for a significant period of time, and ensuring that your vehicle is road ready—meaning that your tires, windshield wipers, and lights are all in good working condition.

Even still, icy roads are a major hazard for all drivers and Sergeant Tim Hinkson of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) explained how to prevent a slide from becoming something worse.

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“If you find...that your vehicle is doing things that you’re not expecting it to do, what you want to do is, instead of slamming on the brakes or a hard steering maneuver, what you want to do is take your foot off the brakes, off the gas and gently steer where you’d like the vehicle to go. It’s not a foolproof plan, but what we don’t want to see is people then slam on the brakes which will lock up those tires on an icy road and that really takes away your steering input. It’s really just a slow type of approach.”

Slow in general is the way to go, as Hinkson also shared that speed is the number-one cause of collisions in the state. As for rules of thumb to follow when traveling this winter, he offered two:

1. Tire tread is required to be at least 1/16" deep, which can be checked by placing a penny into your tread upside down—if you can see Abraham Lincoln's head, your tires are bald and need service.
2. If you do find yourself sliding while driving, act as if you have a bowl of cereal in your lap—drive in a way that would keep the milk from spilling out by making slight maneuvers in terms of turns, braking and accelerating.

Another way to ensure safe travels is to "know before you go" and look at road conditions for your planned route. You can check Caltrans' QuickMap using this link.

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