Driving during winter weather conditions is sometimes hazardous at best. Below is some information you may find useful as you prepare to confront the winter season.

Get current road conditions BEFORE you hit the road... Click Here!

If you must travel during a winter storm...

• Plan your travel, selecting both primary and alternate routes.
• Let someone know your travel routes and itinerary so that, if you don't arrive on time, officials will know where to search for you.
• Check latest weather information on your radio.
• Try not to travel alone - two or three people are preferable.
• Travel in convoy (with another vehicle) if possible.
• Drive carefully and defensively. Watch for ice patches on bridges and overpasses.
• If a storm begins to be too much for you to handle, seek refuge immediately.
• If your car should become disabled, stay with the vehicle, running your engine and heater for short intervals. Be sure to "crack" a window in the vehicle to avoid carbon monoxide build-up.

Reliable transportation is especially important in the winter. If you have a car, make sure it is ready for whatever winter may bring. Not only should your car be kept in top operating condition all year round - for safety and fuel economy, it is especially important to get it winterized to avoid any unpleasant or dangerous situation while traveling in frigid weather.

Always fill the gasoline tank before entering open country, even for a short distance, and stop to fill-up long before the tank begins to run low. Keeping your tank as full as possible will minimize condensation, providing the maximum advantage in case of trouble. A Citizens Band (CB) radio and/or cellular phone can be very useful to you or another stranded motorist in case of an emergency.

Get more winter weather driving tips from the Illinois State Police by clicking here.

Carlock ambulance assisted Fire and EMS resources from Hudson, El Paso, Normal, Towanda and a pair of Lifeflight Helicopters from OSF St. Francis Medical Center Friday night on a multiple vehicle accident which claimed the life of a 4-month-old boy and left at least 10 others hospitalized.

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From The Pantagraph (http://www.pantagraph.com) --

"HUDSON -- A semitrailer truck that apparently failed to reduce speed on Interstate 39 when traffic slowed for an accident Friday night crashed into several vehicles, sending 10 people to area hospitals and snarling traffic for hours, police said Saturday.

An initial crash was reported around 9 p.m. around three miles north of Hudson on northbound I-39, near mile marker 8. The semitrailer truck failed to reduce speed as traffic slowed for that initial crash, and it plowed into several vehicles around 9:30 p.m. about two miles south of the original crash site, Illinois State Police said in a statement Saturday.

In all, seven vehicles — three semis and four passenger vehicles, including one towing a trailer — were involved in the crashes. Ten people were transported to area hospitals by ambulance and helicopter, two or three of them critically injured, authorities said. All lanes of Interstate 39 in both directions were reopened Saturday morning, and state police were continuing their investigation into the crash due to the number of victims and vehicles involved."

Read more about this story at http://www.pantagraph.com/