STATE POLICE URGES MOTORISTS TO STAY OFF OF THE ROADS DURING WINTER STORM

The New Jersey State Police is urging New Jersey residents to prepare for a Nor’easter that will affect nearly the entire state Wednesday into Thursday. The storm is expected to create hazardous travel conditions statewide, so if you do not need to travel, please stay home to allow crews to safely treat our roadways. If you must travel, here are a few tips safety tips to follow:

• Drive slowly. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on slick or snow-covered surfaces

• Increase the following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you, which will help prevent rear-end crashes on slick roads

• Make sure you cell phone is fully charged before you leave for your trip

• Pack bottled water, blankets, and dry food goods in the event you get stranded

• Leave a friend or family member a travel itinerary so that they can alert police should you get stranded and/or lose cell service

• Make sure your gas tank is full before you leave in case you get stuck in traffic

• Top off your windshield washer fluid to clear salt from your windshield

• Pack a few bags of sand or cat litter, which can create traction for vehicles stuck on slippery road grades

If your vehicle becomes disabled during the storm, follow these safety rules:

• Call 9-1-1

• Stay inside your car. You are safer inside your car than outside

• Turn on your hazard lights

• To avoid asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning, don’t run your car for long periods of time with the windows fully up. If you must run your vehicle, clear the exhaust pipe of any snow and run it only sporadically — just long enough to stay warm

The best way to avoid storm-related travel hazards is to stay off of the roads, but if you must travel, please take the time to prepare. Before you leave, make sure you check for the latest weather updates. For those living in Northern New Jersey and the New York Metro area, visit the U.S. National Weather Service New York NY at http://www.weather.gov/okx/. For those living in Central and Southern New Jersey, visit the U.S. National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly at http://www.weather.gov/phi/.