Icy roads on Sunday may cause issues for drivers

COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)

Officials are urging drivers to stay cautious when driving on icy roads following mid-Missouri's first snowfall of the season.

According to a social media post, as of 6 a.m. Saturday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop F responded to 270 calls for service.

Of those calls, there were:

• 80 crashes without injuries
• 7 crashes with injuries
• 1 fatal crash
• 186 Stranded motorists

While Boone County, the City of Columbia and many other agencies and counties did deploy teams of snowplows Saturday morning, officials remind drivers to stay alert as the recent snowfall is expected to freeze overnight and throughout the day Sunday.

According to the Springfield Police Department, drivers should slow down and keep about three car lengths in between their car and the car in front of them when driving in icy conditions.

If a car begins to skid, the driver should take their foot off the gas and avoid jerking or over-correcting the wheel. Instead, it's advised to gently turn the wheel in the direction the car is skidding.

Drivers with standard should pump the brakes gently while drivers with anti-lock brakes should apply steady pressure.

If a vehicle is stuck, the department tells drivers to use a light touch on the gas, not spin their wheels, and have sand or cat litter in the car to help give the wheels traction.

MoDOT also advises drivers to always wear a seatbelt, keep their lights on and keep their mirrors and windows clean of any snow or ice. They also recommend keeping your gas tank at least half-full.

During the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday counting period, the Missouri State Highway Patrol counted nine people who were killed and 483 people who were injured in 1,342 traffic crashes across Missouri during the holiday travel window.

This year, the holiday counting period runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.