Missouri officials warn drivers of latest winter driving threat
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri law enforcement officials are warning drivers to be on the lookout for "snow missiles" or "snow mattresses," in the midst of winter weather in the state.
"What happens is after it snows or the ice storm, it builds up and has a tendency to, to melt a little bit and refreeze," Sgt. Kyle Green, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. "And then when people eventually get back out onto the roads or to the highways, either due to vibration or due to wind resistance, it'll blow that large chunk of snow and ice off the top of their vehicle."
Green told ABC 17 News snow missiles are an annual hazard and can fall off of any type of vehicle, no matter the speed.
"We have situations each year where these large pieces of snow and ice will come off and hit somebody's windshield and cause them to wreck or swerve to miss it, and that will cause a crash," Green said.
Not only can it happen when you're driving, Green said it can also happen when you are trying to stop.
"When somebody let's say, approaches an intersection and they brake hard, the snow and ice will actually slide off the front of their car down onto the hood and then hit the ground in front of them," Green said.
A recent Facebook post from the Jefferson City Police Department urges drivers to clean off snow and ice from their vehicles before traveling.
According to Green, drivers can even face legal trouble if ice and snow falls off of their vehicle and causes damage or harm to another driver or vehicle.
"It does happen enough that it's a concern and something that we want to bring to people's attention that may not even realize that that can come off, strike another vehicle and that you can be held liable for that," Green said.
Green said anyone who finds themselves on the back end of a car with ice and snow flying towards them, it's best to let it hit their vehicle and to try to increase the distance between them and the vehicle in front.
"It's instinctual to try to swerve out of the way of something that you have coming at you, but you could end up swerving off the roadway and causing yourself considerably more damage or injury than just letting the snow or ice hit your vehicle," Green said.
