Date: Fri 29-Jan-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

edink-weather-ice-winter

Full Text:

ED INK: Be Careful Out There

Every New England winter seems to have its own personality, and this winter is

marked by caprice, wandering from warm sunny days to a biting gray chill and

back again without warning. Wet pavement can turn to glare ice in a few

minutes' time. Even those wise enough to forsake their cars when the roads are

slick are still at risk when they venture outside; as they try to break their

falls on unexpected ice, people are breaking their wrists and arms instead.

The consequences of the freeze-thaw see-saw of this winter's weather can be

measured quite easily in the hospital emergency room.

So far, Newtown's highway crew has been doing a good job of keeping after the

hazards on the roadway, cumulatively spending nearly 2,000 hours of overtime

in their trucks this winter spreading sand and salt on the roads. Still,

motorists should be aware that hazardous conditions can arise anytime. It's

time to slow down. Police have reached no conclusions yet, but excess speed

appeared to contribute to the fatal accident on Hattertown Road last Friday

night, which claimed the life of a Redding man. Even those motorists feeling

invincible in their four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicles should remember

that the big factor in safe winter driving isn't how well you go -- it's how

well you stop.

Of course it is tempting simply to shun the outdoors altogether in these

dreary winter months, staying close to the hearth with whatever family and

friends we can gather around. But even that won't spare us. Health officials

are quick to remind us that the reason flu and cold viruses abound in the

winter months is not because of the cold and wet weather -- it's because

people are inclined to huddle together in close, poorly ventilated quarters.

It seems we can't win.

These are the days of the year when the struggle to stay upright, healthy, and

in good spirits presents its biggest challenges, and frankly it makes us a

little crazy. Perhaps that explains why on Tuesday next week, we will all look

to a groundhog for some early winter relief. Until that relief arrives, we

want to remind everyone to be careful out there.