State police urge motorists to continue to stay off of roads

Motorists are Urged to Keep Safety a Priority and Avoid Unnecessary Travel During Winter Weather Event

Baton Rouge – Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development continue to work with public safety partners across the state to ensure citizen safety during the winter weather event.

Citizens are urged to remain indoors and stay off of affected roadways. Bridges and overpasses across the state are the first to accumulate ice and can cause dangerous situations. Over the past two days, Troopers have investigated nearly 150 crashes. Travel at this time is highly discouraged. Motorists can find the most up-to-date road closure information by visiting www.511LA.org, calling 511, or downloading the Louisiana 511 smartphone application.

If travel is unavoidable, LSP offers the following winter weather driving tips:

· Reduce speed and allow extra time to reach your destination
· Increase your following distance behind other vehicles
· Do not drive using the cruise control in icy conditions
· Anticipate stops (such as stop signs and traffic signals) and brake gently while stopping
· Be aware that ice may be difficult to see and is especially likely to be present on overpasses, bridges,
and shady spots on the roadway
· If you encounter a skid, take your foot off of the accelerator and steer into the skid until you regain
control
· Use low beam headlights if it is raining or sleeting
· Watch for slow-moving DOTD vehicles as well as first responders
· Move over or, if unable to move over, reduce speed for emergency vehicles on the shoulder
· Ensure all vehicle occupants are properly restrained

If you experience difficulties or witness hazardous situations while on the highway, you may notify the nearest State Police Troop by dialing *LSP (*577) from your cell phone.

For the latest on road conditions, pictures, videos, and LSP activities across the state, please visit the LSP Facebook and Twitter social media pages.