Law Enforcement Warns Motorists Of Being Overconfident

A hint of sunshine Friday has turned much of the ice on area roads into slush and in some cases melted it away. But Tulsa Police are urging drivers to still use caution. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter

Friday, January 19th 2007, 10:21 am

By: News On 6

A hint of sunshine Friday has turned much of the ice on area roads into slush and in some cases melted it away. But Tulsa Police are urging drivers to still use caution.

News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin explains police feel the main cause in recent wrecks is driver overconfidence, hitting the road at normal speeds or above when conditions are still too dangerous.

Tulsa Police officer David Hickman: "It takes just one little patch of ice and an inexperienced driver."

One driver found out the hard way on the Broken Arrow Expressway driving at normal speed on what he might have thought was a clear road, when police say he hit some ice and rolled. The SUV took out a highway sign and landed on the exit ramp.

Tulsa Police ticketed the uninjured man for driving at an unsafe speed for the conditions. "Just because it says 55 or 45 doesn't mean that you can always do that."

Even though the lane you're driving in may seem dry and clear, you really don't know when it might suddenly turn into a sheet of ice.

Another driver lost control on I-44 and flipped driving across the slush separating ramps and highways in many areas. Hickman says even if you take the same route everyday, conditions can change. "City workers are moving ice constantly, it goes across the road, it falls off cars, it melts it re-freezes. They don't realize there's a patch of ice 100 feet in front of them, and then they're having to slam on their brakes and whip over."

On Thursday, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers say a driver going too fast coming off US highway 75 slammed into a Chevy Blazer sending it underneath a truck. "I've seen more and more people speeding up just because it looks clear and with freezing temperatures, the black ice, it's a real thing. You're not going to be able to see it until you've hit it."

Tulsa Police explained it this way, people should normally drive at about 80-percent of their ability, and then you have some room for error. With this weather, police say you should drive at only 40 to 50 percent, so you can remain in control if you have a problem.