With the remnants of Hurricane Sally expected to deluge north Georgia with 3- 6 inches of rain, highway safety advocates are urging motorists to be cautious on the road.
The Georgia Department of Transportation says it has teams on alert statewide to respond to storm damage on state highways. Flooding is the main concern, and GDOT offers some sobering facts.
“Just six inches of fast-moving water can carry away an adult,” the agency said Wednesday. “Twelve inches of fast-moving water can carry away a small car, and 18-24 inches can carry away most large SUVs, vans and trucks.”
Maybe that’s why GDOT has some simple advice: “turn around, don’t drown.” That is, don’t drive or walk into standing water. Don’t drive around barricades. And treat flashing red and non-operating signals as four-way stops.
AAA also advises motorists to use extreme caution, check traffic and weather conditions before heading out, pack an emergency kit and have a full tank of gas. The motor club also says drivers should avoid using high-beam headlights (which can blind other drivers), keep a firm grip on the wheel in high winds and increase the space between you and other vehicles.
If your vehicle stalls in a flooded area, AAA says you should get out as quickly as possible and seek higher ground.
Better yet, why be on the road at all if you don’t have to be?
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