JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — With the rare winter storm warning in effect for all southeast Georgia and inland northeast Florida, experts are warning about safety on the roadways.
The First Alert Weather Team is expecting an Arctic blast to bring the chance of some wintry weather. And people who live in Florida and Georgia are not used to driving through wintery conditions, especially ice. So, it’s important to take extra precautions.
“You gotta to be really careful,” Tom Bush Volkswagen General Manger Jim Reynolds said.
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The Action News Jax First Alert Weather team is tracking a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain for southeast Georgia. And in Florida, our team is tracking cold rain that could mix with freezing rain and sleet early Wednesday
This could mean icy roads for drivers.
“They need to drive very slow – not a lot of throttle input or breaks – need to be very easy on the gas and very easy on the breaks because that’s what will put the car in a slide or a spin, either one,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said you’ll want to avoid slamming on your breaks to avoid losing contact with the pavement. But if you end up hydroplaning on the roads, don’t panic.
“You need to turn into the slide and cars – most modern cars have stability control, so hopefully that will take over a little bit – so you’ll need to turn into it but not slam on the breaks because it will slide even worse,” Reynolds said.
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Our First Alert Weather team said Jacksonville could experience some icing, especially in the northwest part of town.
“Black ice is actually where you don’t even see the ice – that’s the scariest part about it – it’s just there, but you don’t even see it,” Reynolds said.
Bridges and overpasses will be more susceptible to icing first. The Florida Department of Transportation said it is monitoring the conditions and prepping for severe weather, especially on bridges and elevated roadways.
As for Reynolds, he said if you plan to drive, you’ll want to stay cautious, reduce your speed, and increase your distance behind cars.
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“Definitely more than just a couple car lengths,” Reynolds said. “You’ll need to keep that other car way up there because if they start to slide, it will give you a visual that something bad is coming and then there is a lot further to break, so it’s going to take you a lot longer to slow down.”
Reynolds said before you hit the roads, you’ll want to prep your car. Let it heat up and remove any frost or ice on your windows before you drive. Make sure you check your wipers, because the cold will make them go brittle.
Other ways to prep include checking your tire pressure, salting your driveway, and maybe having some kitty litter handy for some traction.
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