Spring has arrived and the Missouri Highway Patrol is urging motorists to drive with caution on the roads this season as varying temperatures and weather patterns can pose a problem for drivers.
Spokesman Capt. Tim Hull is warning drivers to be aware of conditions such as flash flooding, which is caused by heavy rain, and to slow down to watch for slick areas on the roads early in the morning.
Hull says the varying temperatures can still leave roadways to be covered with frost. While roads might appear to be clear, it’s important to keep caution.
“This is a seasonal thing that we see every Spring and even though we had a drought last year for most of the summer, in the Spring we see a lot of rain and a lot of runoff especially when we have downpour, torrential rain,” Hull said. “Small creeks become swollen and will actually go over the roadways.”
He says motorists who are driving by low water crossings, or in an area where water can occasionally come across the roadways, should watch out for those because even a small amount of moving water can cause a vehicle to be pushed off a bridge or a roadway and into the waterways.
Early morning fog can also cause low visibility problems for drivers. “Make sure you turn your headlights on and drive according to those conditions that are out there,” Hull said. “Slow down, leave a little more following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.”
Hull says flooding is a more common occurrence in the rural parts of the state, as well as the metropolitan areas where there are streets with poor drainage systems.
AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:02)
