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Winter Weather, Ice and Snow
January 25, 2024 Volume 1, Issue 4
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The safest place to be during adverse weather conditions is indoors, but that is not always possible. Motorists should prepare themselves and their vehicles before heading out on winter roads.
- Have a full tank of gas.
- Check road conditions before you leave.
- Make people aware of where you are going and when you plan to arrive.
- Decrease your speed and leave plenty of room to stop.
- Do not use cruise control on icy or wet roads.
- Have a winter survival kit available in your car.
- If the car is stalled or stuck, stay in the vehicle and wait for help to arrive.
Each vehicle should be equipped with a Winter Vehicle Safety Survival Kits. Below is a list of items to have in your vehicle:
- warm gear including blankets and warm clothing.
- signaling gear such as bright red or orange cloth, a whistle and a radio.
- heat source such as a heater or candle, matches (not a lighter), metal container to cook in and a cup to drink/eat from.
- food and drink: bottled water, hard candy, nuts, raisins, granola bars, jerky and dried fruit keep well in cold weather.
- Rope, toilet paper, and a flashlight with batteries.
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Winter weather is here and many families are unsure how to keep their children warm in the car while also being safe. Bulky winter coats and snow pants should not be worn in a car seat as it makes the harness straps too loose to be effective in a crash. Car seat liners that go under a child can bunch up and make extra padding that can compress in a crash.
Use these guidelines for best practices for safe use in car seats:
- Do not use a coat on children in car seats. Use a blank over the straps for warmth.
- Use only a lightweight coat similar to a sweatshirt such as fleece.
- Use a car seat cover that goes around (but not under) the car seat This does not affect the tightness of the harness straps.
- Some options include:
- car seat ponchos or blankets that go on top of the seat.
- after securing the child in the car seat, without a coat, turn the coat around and put it backwards with their arms through the arm holes and the back of the coat acting like a blanket.
- Always remember to strap your child into their car seat before adding layers to keep them warm.
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It’s important to know what to do if you find yourself in the ditch or in a disabled vehicle so you stay safe while waiting for help. Crashes that occur as a result of an earlier initial crash are known as secondary crashes. These can occur, for example, when a vehicle is following too closely and there is not enough time to react or when the following vehicle hits the same patch of ice and slides into the same ditch. This can be exceptionally dangerous for the victims of the initial crash and first responders on the scene.
For a driver, getting out of the vehicle to inspect the damage is dangerous as it leaves them vulnerable to passing traffic. The protection your vehicle provides and the tips below could save your life.
- Stay in your vehicle.
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Keep your seat belt on.
- Turn on hazard lights.
- If your car isn’t drivable, stay inside and move to the seat furthest from traffic, creating more room between you and other vehicles on the road.
- If your car is drivable, worry less about “preserving the scene” for law enforcement and more about protecting yourself and your car from further damage. This could mean driving (if possible) to the nearest off-ramp or underpass.
- Once you’re safe, call 911.
Remember that if you take it slow, pay attention to the vehicles around you and be sure to leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you, the odds of crashing decrease. Together, we can drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.
TZD Tuesday is courtesy of Jessica Schleck, Southeast Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Coordinator.
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The Sheriff's Office recently welcomed three new deputies to the ranks. Jeremy Wiste comes from the north metro and previous worked as a Public Safety Officer for New Brighton. Rachel Heinrichs comes from Steele County and has previous law enforcement experience. Madilyn Trupe comes from Steele County and has previous experience in law enforcement. Welcome to Steele County Jeremy, Rachel and Madilyn!
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Barb Stendel was recently swore in by Sheriff Lon Thiele as the newest member of the Special Deputy division of the Steele County Sheriff's Office.
Special deputies assist the Sheriff's Office in various capacities such as security at community events including the Steele County Free Fair, Blades Hockey games, wedding dances and more. Welcome to the Sheriff's Office Barb!
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September Highlights
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Busiest day of week: Friday
Busiest hour of day: 9:00 pm
Total # of events: 1,440
Average events/day: 48
Average events/hour: 2
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Average traffic stops/hour: .36
DWIs for the month: 2
Permit to carry: 47
Permit to purchase: 8
Civil papers served: 94
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October Highlights
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Busiest day of week: Sunday
Busiest hour of day: 6:00 pm
Total # of events: 1,211
Average events/day: 39
Average events/hour: 1.6
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Average traffic stops/hour: .27
DWIs for the month: 2
Permit to carry: 40
Permit to purchase: 11
Civil papers served: 103
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November Highlights
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Busiest day of week: Saturday
Busiest hour of day: 9:00 pm
Total # of events: 1,231
Average events/day: 41
Average events/hour: 1.7
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Average traffic stops/hour: .27
DWIs for the month: 1
Permit to carry: 41
Permit to purchase: 8
Civil papers served: 113
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If you know the whereabouts of anyone on this list call non-emergency dispatch at 507-451-8232.
Carter Harris 01/10/2000 Fleeing in a Motor Vehicle
Hailee Naglestad 02/10/2000 Speed/Careless Driving
Demitrius Sanchez 02/07/1991 Theft
Michael Sorenson 02/07/1972 2nd degree DWI
Anthony Williams 05/05/2004 2nd degree Assault
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- A 52-year-old Owatonna man was arrested and charged 2nd degree driving while impaired, refuse to submit to a chemical test.
- A 30-year-old Austin man was arrested and charged with 5th degree drug possession, giving a peace officer a false name of another person, driver must carry proof of insurance when operating a vehicle and speed.
- A 44-year-old female was arrested for threats of violence-cause or attempt to cause terror and domestic assault.
- A 23-year-old Fairmont man was arrested for carrying or possessing a pistol without a permit, reckless driving and speed.
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Minnesota Statute 169.471 Television; Headphones
Subdivision 1 prohibits use of television screen installed or used in any motor vehicle where images from the screen are visible to the driver while operating the motor vehicle. Exceptions apply to law enforcement vehicles, closed-circuit video systems used exclusively to aid the driver's visibility and screens used as part of the vehicle control system or intelligent vehicle applications.
Subdivision 2 prohibits use of headphones in both ears simultaneously. Exceptions include use of hearing devices by a person who needs the devices, communication headsets used by firefighters operating emergency vehicles while responding to an emergency, or communication headsets used by emergency medical services persons while operating an ambulance.
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Wanted for: 1st degree Aggravated Robbery
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 165 LBS
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
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Wanted for: Escape from Custody
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 197 LBS
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blond
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Year-to-Date Fatal Stats
According to preliminary numbers from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traffic Safety, 412 people lost their lives in 2023 crashes.
2025 Goal is to reduce traffic-related deaths to 225 or fewer…
YTD FATAL COUNT UPDATE
2024 YTD compared to 2023 & 2022
Preliminary (Actual) (Actual)
20 14 11
Pedestrians
3 2 1
Motorcyclists
0 0 0
Bicyclists
0 0 0
ATVs/UTVs
1
Snowmobiles
1
*FATAL CRASHES
18 14 11
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Submit your questions and concerns
Do you have a question you’ve been wanting answered? Or a concern you want to address? Send them in, they might even become a topic in a future newsletter.
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