JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. (WBNG) — Southern Tier residents awoke Tuesday to the first accumulated snowfall of the year.
With the unofficial winter coming early this year, spinouts and traffic jams were a constant along Broome County highways throughout the morning.
“Shortly after 8:30 this morning, multiple calls started rolling in for traffic accidents up on state route 201,” said Johnson City Police Chief Brent Dodge. “All our cars responded there. As they were there handling those accidents, multiple more accidents started occurring.”
State police reported car crashes in Johnson City, Union and Vestal along Interstate 86 and state route 17. Senior communications specialist with AAA Western and Central New York Mark Gruba said the first snow serves as a reminder to use be more cautious while driving through the winter conditions.
“First of all, slow down. Don’t be in such a hurry to get to your destination. You need to slow it down recognizing that the road conditions are changing and they may be slippery,” Gruba said. “Increase your following distance, make sure you have room between you and the vehicles around you so if you need to take an evasive maneuver, you have the space to do that.”
Gruba and Dodge said it’s not uncommon for the year’s first snowfall to create chaos on the roads. They said incidents can be prevented by checking your tires, headlights and windshield before driving, and maintaining a safe following distance while on the roads.
“It takes us all a little while to kind of get that muscle memory back for driving in these inclement conditions. I think across the region we are seeing lots of crashes lots of accidents,” Gruba said. “It’s a good reminder to bring to the top of our minds the good habits that we need to stay safe on the roadway.”
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