AAA Texas has joined TxDOT and police departments in urging people to stay off roads as many that were treated Thursday have refrozen.
From 9 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m Friday, Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to 147 crashes; MedStar, the ambulance provider in much of Tarrant County, responded to ten crashes from 3-9 p.m. Thursday, fewer than the same period a week ago.
"It looks like the community did what we all asked them to do – Stay off the roads," MedStar wrote in an email.
AAA Texas has 2.5 million members, but the organization's Daniel Armbruster says calls for help dropped Thursday.
"For an event like this, that was good news, a little unexpected," he said in an interview. "We're hoping today, even though some folks are probably getting cabin fever, that if you don't have to be out, folks will continue to stay home and stay off the roadways."
For those who must leave home, Armbruster urges drivers to pack an emergency kit with a flashlight, batteries, jumper cables, and kitty litter for traction. He also says drivers should pack coats, hats, gloves, and blankets for each person and pet who will be in the car.
"If you are out and you're involved in an emergency, it could take longer for help to arrive, and you're going to need to stay warm in your vehicle," he says.
Armbruster urges people who do need to go out to clear all snow from the hood and roof of their car instead of just windows. That can prevent snow from blowing off the car on highways and blocking other drivers' view.
In addition, AAA says drivers should leave three times as much space between the car in front of them to provide additional reaction time; slamming on brakes also makes a car more likely to spin out of control than gradually reducing speed.
Armbruster says "getting overly confident and getting in a hurry" can prove the biggest risk to drivers who get on highways Friday.
"Look at all the 18-wheelers that are in crashes this morning. It doesn't matter what you're driving," Armbruster says. "Unless you're on a Zamboni, which is probably illegal on Texas streets, anyone can crash on this ice."
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD
