BILLINGS — When the snow falls in Billings, slick roads follow, so preparing to get on the road and being cautious on the commute are both important.
“This is a good day for training, but you have to train for winter conditions even in the summertime,” the founder of Legacy Corporation International Trucking Academy, Lew Grill, said on Thursday. “We should be concentrating 12-to-15 seconds ahead of our truck because we require greater anticipation because we have greater stopping distances.”
Grill said to give truck drivers plenty of room to stop and to not drive at the same speed as the drivers right next to them for long periods, especially during snowy conditions. Semi-trailer truck drivers have to focus on multiple things at once, so giving them space is helpful.
“Following distance comes into play big time,” said Don Peterson, a retired driver’s education teacher.
Peterson taught driver’s education classes in Billings for 30 years and knows how to stay safe on slick roads. He said to make sure windows and lights are cleaned, have good tires and a prepared car is necessary, and drive slow. He also shared how to try to avoid spinning on ice.
“When your back end goes to the right, you turn to the right. If you turn to the left that puts you in a like an ice-skating spin type thing,” Peterson said. “Safety comes in to the issue, not only for the driver but for people that are driving the other way too.”
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