St. Joseph County Police caution drivers to slow down amid first snowstorm

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --St. Joseph County police are asking drivers to slow down as Michiana experiences its first snowstorm of the season.

One area of concern is the US-20 bypass in South Bend. Corporal Aris Lee with the Traffic Division of the St. Joseph County Police advised drivers add an extra 10 to 15 minutes to their morning commute if they take the bypass.

"The bypass, also, is another problem area that we have too. It's a higher speed limit. A lot of people think that they can still go the posted speed limit. But when the roads are the way, they are, they probably shouldn't. That's why we tell people: hey, give yourselves a little extra time.

In the snowy weather, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and snowplows will likely be on the roads. Lee said to remember Indiana's "move over" law, which asks drivers to veer left and/or get out of the way of vehicles on the side of the road with flashing lights.

"If you're travelling and you see red lights, blue lights, and amber, which is for tow trucks, ahead of you, you know, really slow down, because we could have personnel out investigating a crash," Lee said. "We might have officers, firefighters, EMTs, and even tow truck drivers outside of their vehicles."

Lee also advised drivers keep blankets and extra winter clothes in their cars in case they get stuck in the snow and need to wait for help to arrive.