Troopers urge winter preparedness as frigid temperatures loom
Dec 19, 2022, 10:46 PM
SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah — As multiple nights of frigid low temperatures loomed in the week before Christmas, the Utah Highway Patrol cautioned drivers to make the extra effort to be prepared in the event cars become stalled, stuck or stranded.
“There’s no reason not to think ahead,” said Trooper Cody Ohlau.
Among the items troopers were telling drivers to consider having in their cars with them at all times were: extra blankets or coats, a flashlight, tools for potential auto repairs and reflective vests.
“If you keep a reflective vest in your car, (other) vehicles can see you,” Ohlau said.
He also said it was always important to travel around with a charged up cell phone.
“It is not good, not a good idea to be driving without a phone,” Ohlau said. “Today, I had a car I stopped on, their phone was dead and they didn’t have a way to call for help. They were just sitting there on the side of the road.”
Ohlau also urged people not to cut it too close when their fuel gauges read low, to make sure spare tires have air in them in the event of flats, and to generally be prepared.
“Take an extra 10 seconds to grab a coat out of the closet before you take off,” Ohlau said.
