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Show Chief Warns About Winter Chief of Police Michael Ferre' expressed concern today over upcoming problems Pleasant Grove's emergency services might encounter during winter storms in the months ahead. According to the Chief, whether or not an emergency vehicle gets through most often depends on other motorists's ability to move, not its own. "When traffic becomes hopelessly snarled because of stalled cars on snowy or icy roads, "Chief Ferre pointed out, "it's painfully obivous that somebody waited until it was too late to take proper precautions." The Chief then pointed out that a traffic tieup involves more than personal frustrations. Police, fire and ambulance services are disrupted or brought to a complete halt. Abandoned vehicles prevent plows from functioning and then problems are compounded. "Go-power" recommendations, recom-mendations, based on findings fin-dings of the National Safety Council's Committee on Winter Driving Hazards and endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, were cited by Chief Ferre': "Suppose you have to stop on an icy up-grade," he said. "Could you get started again?" "On glare ice, snow tires alone will give about 28, percent better traction than regular highway tire treads. There are other traction aids on the market that will give verying degrees of improvement, im-provement, but none can come anywhere near equalling the 630 percent improvement that reinforced tire chains give on ice!" On Loosely packed snow, the National Safety Council's findings show that snow treads provide half again as much pulling ability as regular tires while reinforced tire chains produce about three times the pulling ability of regular tires. Braking distances are also important on winter slick roads. The committee's test findings have this to say about stopping problems: Snow tires may be of little or no help at all for stopping on glare ice, but reinforced tire chains cut braking distance in half. To this, the Chief added a second warning, "Regardless of the traction aid you use for snow or ice, in no instance can you stop, go or steer nearly as well as you can with regular highway tires on dry pavement!" He urged common sense on the part of every driver. Slow down. Think out every maneuver well in advance. Steer, accelerate and stop gently. "If you can not use public transportation and must drive during a severe winter storm, Chief Ferre' concluded, "carry tire chains and be prepared to use them for essential travel." |