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The Nugget Newspaper
Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Icy roads lead to multiple wrecks

It was a dangerous week on Sisters area roads.

Icy conditions -- and impatient drivers -- contributed to several wrecks. While more than one vehicle flipped or rolled or hit a tree, no one was seriously hurt in the spate of accidents that began on Thursday, December 5.

In one wreck a pickup truck -- two-wheel drive with no studs -- attempted to pass another vehicle eastbound on Highway 20 just west of Tollgate.

The driver lost control, shot across the opposing traffic lane and rolled into the trees on the north side of the highway. The driver and his passengers walked away, after assuring a deputy that they hadn't been going fast.

A short time later, in the same area, a Toyota 4-Runner wobbled and rolled, striking a tree on the south side of the road. The driver, his wife and their 10-month-old child were not badly hurt.

Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Dan Knoll emphasized that "winter driving is a tricky and dangerous business. Better roads, better cars and better tires won't take the place of careful driving practices."

ODOT recommends that drivers give themselves plenty of extra time for getting to their destination so they are not tempted to drive too fast for conditions.

Drivers should take the time to clear all windows of snow, ice or fog before starting out. Also clear any snow off the hood -- it comes loose when driving.

Ice can be a major problem, especially in foggy conditions such as those that prevailed in Sisters last week.

"At 30 degrees ice is twice as slippery as it is at 0 degrees," Knoll noted. It also forms first and lasts longer on bridges and in the shade.

ODOT recommends that if you hit an unexpected patch, don't try to brake, accelerate or downshift. Let up on the accelerator and let your vehicle "roll" through the slippery area.

Black ice on the roadways can be difficult to see. Motorists are advised to pay attention to a change in color or a change in the reflectivity of the pavement surface.

If the road surface is wet and all of sudden it looks dry it could be black ice. Also if motorists come across a sparkling road surface it could be either frost or black ice.

"The best way to deal with black ice is to anticipate where you have a likelihood of encountering it, such as on shady curves and bridges, then to slow down and drive accordingly," said Knoll,

Knoll also recommends that motorists should slow down on dry pavement before entering what could be a slippery area. If it's too late to properly slow down, do not make any sudden changes or maneuvers and gradually use the brakes.

If motorists find themselves on black ice and losing control, they should steer into the direction of the skid.

Do not use cruise control if there is even a remote possibility of encountering black ice, frost, or snow.

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