This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

With snow arriving in some Utah's valleys, the Utah Department of Transportation said Thursday it is ready — and called for drivers to be prepared, too.

"We're ready for winter, and it's here," said Jason Davis, UDOT chief of operations. "Drivers need to shift gears now, too, and that means being prepared."

He said that includes topping off washer fluid and having good wiper blades, an ice scraper, tire chains, a tow strap, jumper cables and a flashlight with extra batteries.

"It also means having blankets, water and some food — things you would want if you get stuck or stranded somewhere," Davis said.

He urged drivers to take time to de-ice their windshields before traveling. "We've all seen that person that has just the hole just big enough to see out of their windshield in the morning, because that's all they could scrape or thaw. That's not safe for anybody," he said.

Davis added that as the first snowstorms come, it is time to slow down. "Drive for the conditions, not the posted speed limit."

If involved in an accident on the freeway, Davis urged drivers if possible to move to the nearest exit and out of the roadway. "If you can't do that, stay in your vehicle."

He said, "Last year, we had nine pedestrian fatalities on our interstate [highways]. A lot of those were folks who were involved in accidents, and got out of their cars to check, talk to the other driver or wait. There's a high possibility there could be a secondary accident that could kill them. So stay in your cars. That's the safest place."

Davis also asks drivers to give snowplows a little extra space.

"It's difficult for them to see you with all the snow flying up around them and all the wings and devices they have on their trucks. So give them some space," he said. "Allow them to do their job, so everyone can travel a little safer."

Davis said UDOT has done its job to prepare, including stockpiling 125,000 tons of salt in 90 storage buildings, and preparing more than 500 snow-plow trucks, 401 wing-plow attachments and six tow plows (which allow one truck to clear several lanes at one time).

"We've also got our fleet, while it's aging, as mechanically sound as we can get so that when we're in a storm, we can have as many of our trucks out there as needed," he said. UDOT has 568 full-time employees on its snow team, and 65 winter seasonal employees.

"When a storm hits, we send them all. We don't hold anything back in reserve. This isn't a military exercise. We get the snow off the road," Davis said.

Last year, UDOT used 202,000 tons of salt, 2.5 million gallons of salt brine, and 19,352 tons of deslicking grit. UDOT said it uses 250 pounds of salt per lane mile each winter.v —

Some UDOT tips for winter driving

Slow down, drive for conditions and not the posted speed limit.

Check road conditions before traveling using the UDOT traffic app.

Remove all snow and ice from windows, headlights and brake lights.

Keep an ice scraper, flashlight, jumper cables, blankets, water and food in your car. Check wiper blades and washer fluid level.

If in a crash on the freeway, go to the next exit if possible. Otherwise stay in your vehicle. Nine pedestrians were killed on freeways last year.