CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With a slushy mess of rain and snow headed our way, transportation crews across the Carolinas have been busy preparing.
In South Carolina, officials with the South Carolina Department of Transportation say crews began brining priority roads Wednesday morning, and that crews will be on 24-hour shifts beginning Thursday.
In North Carolina, at the North Carolina Department of Transportation facility on Rozzelles Ferry Road in West Charlotte, crews were busy preparing their fleet of trucks and attaching salt spreaders.
But despite the preparation to keep the roads clear, Highway Patrol said they expect to be busy.
“Always our calls for service go up as the weather turns inclement,” North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Ray Pierce said.
Trooper Pierce said calls for service during snow events double, sometimes even triple. He said that can leave people waiting up to an hour or more for a trooper or police officer to arrive.
He stressed the importance for everyone who has to be out on the road Thursday to have an emergency kit in their car. Items in the most basic kits include snacks, water, a blanket and a winter hat and gloves.
“A lot of these calls that we get to, someone has just slid off the road and there is no damage," Trooper Pierce said. "If you get out, assess and there is no damage to your vehicle, no damage to any other property, you’re more than welcome to continue on to your destination."
Above all else, Highway Patrol said a majority of wrecks in the snow happen because of drivers going too fast. Trooper Pierce said bridges and especially overpasses, including the I-485/I-77 interchange, can be some of the most dangerous roads to be on during inclement weather.
“People fail to remember that those overpasses, the snow, the ice, is going to accumulate quicker just because of that air circulating,” he said, adding that one of the most common mistakes is slamming on the break when your car begins to slide.
“As you approach those bridges, let off the gas and just allow your vehicle to coast across those bridges," he said. "Do not hit the breaks should you go into a skid, steer into the skid, correcting your vehicle and that will allow you to continue on your way."
MORE ON WCNC CHARLOTTE: