Time to slow down

As we went to press Tuesday morning we were working a story of another tragedy on local roads, a triple fatality in which slick roads were almost certainly a contributing factor.

This time of year the roads are becoming increasingly treacherous. The speeds drivers were used to during the summer and fall no longer apply, especially early in the morning, when fog and black ice can make the roads particularly dangerous. You can't see black ice and it occurs in patches. One minute you're on a solid road and the next minute your car is going ballistic. Icy conditions are now being reported on almost a daily basis in the mornings, and drivers must be aware that the road simply isn't what it used to be -- and slow down.

In this area we have an unusually high number of people who may have never faced ice or snow on the roads before. Here's a good rule of thumb: When road conditions deteriorate, drive as if you had a cake sitting on top of a tall stack of books in your front seat. Any move that, on dry roads, would normally cause that cake to fall would be too sudden for icy or slick road conditions.

Drive like your life depends on it, because it does. And please, take road conditions into account. Cut 10-15 mph from your normal speed. At worst, it will only add a couple minutes to your driving time. At best, it might add years to your life.

-- Kelly Everitt