MDOT Asks Motorists to be Cautious of Icy Conditions in North and Central Mississippi

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is reporting ice on roads and bridges in several counties in north and central Mississippi.

MDOT first responders began pretreating roads and bridges yesterday and are currently working to keep them passable, but motorists should use extreme caution when traveling through the affected counties.
Ice has been reported in the following counties: Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clay, Copiah, DeSoto, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Leflore, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Panola, Prentiss, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winston and Yazoo.
The public is encouraged to limit travel only in case of emergency in the affected areas. MDOT also encourages the traveling public to pay close attention to weather and travel advisories issued by the National Weather Service, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Mississippi Highway Patrol and local law enforcement.
MDOT’s number one priority is the safety of the traveling public and using safe driving techniques is one way to ensure you arrive at your destination safely. MDOT offers these winter weather driving tips:
· buckle up for safety;
· slow down, especially when driving in winter weather conditions;
· allow more space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you;
· brake early to allow plenty of time to stop;
· brake gently to avoid skidding and never slam on the brakes;
· turn on lights to be more visible to other motorists;
· do not use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads;
· stay alert and look farther ahead in traffic than you normally do; and
· drive safely.
To stay up-to-date on current road and travel conditions, visit MDOTtraffic.com, download the free MDOT mobile app, call 511 or follow @MississippiDOT on Twitter.

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