Road Report

Slick roads result in 64 crashes in Yellowstone and surrounding counties

Posted: Nov 26, 2012 5:20 PM by MTN News

BILLINGS - Montana Highway Patrol troopers had their hands full this holiday weekend with crashes and slide-offs related to icy road conditions.

Troopers responded to a total of 64 calls throughout the district; this includes Sweetgrass, Stillwater, Carbon, Big Horn and Yellowstone counties. Of those calls, there were six confirmed injuries.

Troopers say slide-offs are usually caused when people are driving too fast for road conditions. Drivers should plan more time for travel when road conditions are slick.

A majority of the snow and ice is expected to melt today, but drivers should still use caution tonight.

"The areas of concern would be more in town, in your neighborhoods and areas like that," said Montana Highway Patrol Captain Keith Edgell. "Usually the traffic ways that receive a lot of traffic, melt off fairly quick, so those usually aren't your problem areas. Your problem areas are once you get off the main arterial highways, that you'll start having other problems."

Captain Edgell also mentioned crashes and slide-offs are more likely to happen on some portions of highway, than others. Extra caution should be taken when driving down steep hills and going across bridges. "Bridge decks are another area, because they're made of concrete, versus asphalt, they typically ice up first. So a lot of times you may be on dry asphalt but you hit a bridge deck and it'll be icy and people lose control on those areas as well."