NEW UPDATE: Storm creates hazardous driving conditions on area roads, some postponements

Icy road conditions have closed schools today in New Kent and Charles City counties and have kept law enforcement personnel busy responding to motorists in distress along with some accidents.

As of 10 a.m., State Police Sgt. Steve Vick reported State Police have responded to “around 12” crashes in New Kent and Charles City, but no serious injuries are involved.

In New Kent, sheriff’s office Chief Deputy Joe McLaughlin reports that as of 9 a.m. deputies had responded to six vehicle accidents to assist state police, but most trouble on county roads has involved disabled vehicles and vehicles that have slid off the pavement into ditches resulting in no damage. At the time, four vehicles simultaneously failed to negotiate a hill at the intersection of Tunstall and Hopewell roads and tow trucks are on the scene, he said.

“It’s still slick out there, and VDOT is doing some plowing,” McLaughlin said. “I anticipate that with the temperature not going up much today, roads will remain slick but passable.”

The chief deputy added that no major or widespread power outages have been reported in New Kent as a result of today’s storm.

In the postponement category, the York at New Kent boys’ high school basketball game scheduled for tonight has been moved to Monday, Jan. 26.

Further updates will be posted as soon as information becomes available.

“Overconfidence is a huge problem on days like today when there is a variety of precipitation falling and drivers think that rain means ice free conditions when in fact roads can and do get icy,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Martha Meade.

AAA is offering the following advice for motorists:

Stay at home until temperatures rise and roads are clear of ice

Remember, just because roads look wet, they are not always wet but actually ice.

One patch of roadway can be fine and within seconds drivers can hit a patch of ice.

No amount of driver skill will keep you from losing control on a patch of ice.

If one must drive, slow way down and allow extra time to reach your destination.

If your tires lose traction, continue to look and steer in the direction you want to go. If the drive wheels start to spin or slide while going up a hill, ease off the accelerator slightly and then gently resume speed.

Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra seconds to react.

Avoid changing lanes.

Do not use cruise control in precipitation and freezing temperatures.

Remember that four-wheel drive helps you to get going quicker, but it will not help you stop any faster.

Know when to brake and when to steer. Some driving situations require abrupt action to avoid a crash or collision and in winter conditions, the decision to steer or brake can have very different outcomes. When travelling over 25 MPH, AAA recommends steering over braking to avoid a collision in icy conditions.

Stay in control through a skid. Even careful drivers can experience skids. When a vehicle begins to skid, it is important to not panic. Continue to look and steer in the direction the car needs to go. Avoid slamming on the brakes as this will further upset the vehicle’s balance and make it harder to control.

Know your brakes. With antilock brakes, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.

Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on ice-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.