The Iowa State Patrol is keeping an eye out today for motorists who might be having some trouble on the roadways. Trooper Vince Kurtz says most of their focus will be on assisting motorists. “With the cold and the windchill the way it is, our troopers are out looking for those cars that are stranded on the side of the road and providing that service of making a call to a tow company, getting them out of a cold vehicle into a warm vehicle, assisting in changing a tire,” Kurtz says.
He says people often forget that helping motorists is a big part of what the ISP does. “It’s these days that really remind us that we are out here doing more than just writing tickets,” Kurtz says. If you have to be out in this weather Kurtz says you should plan ahead and have an emergency kit that includes several items.
He says you need to have something to keep you warm, something to keep you hydrated, some food to eat, and a charged cellphone.
Kurtz says a shovel and kitty litter to use for traction are also things you should have. If you have trouble, he says you should wait in the car for help. “If your vehicle would happen to break down you need to stay with you vehicle, and hopefully you’ve got that winter survival kit, a cellphone that you can make a call to get someone out to help you ” Kurtz says. “But above all, stay with your vehicle.”
The Iowa State Patrol is using an airplane at times during bad weather to look for vehicles that may’ve broken down along the state highways.
(Reporting by Dennis Morrice, KLEM, LeMars)