DES MOINES – Bitter cold temperatures and dicey roads are making driving an 18 wheeler all that more difficult.
“If I ever feel that I’m driving and roads are unsafe, you just pull over,” said Nicholas Keller.
Keller has been driving for almost 8 years. He knows when the Winter months come along, His driving changes.
“We have to drive defensively. We are responsible if somebody is cutting you off or if somebody is merging to your side. You’ve got to take action either by speeding up, slowing down, or moving over. You just have to be aware,” said Keller.
He says he’s seen it all. From spin outs to car crashes, and drivers swerving through lanes.
“You can tell when they’re frustrated. They’ll cut right in front of your bumper,” said Keller
But during the winter, semis need extra time to stop and possibly avoid an accident.
“We need at least 6 seconds if we’re fully loaded on flat dry pavement. In conditions like this, that distance and time that we need for any vehicle that’s in front of us, it’s doubled,” said Keller.
Keller’s main advice to other drivers is to be patient behind the wheel and know the elements make it harder for everyone.
“We all have some place to go and we want to do it safely. There will be chunks of ice and snow that come off the truck. Give yourself some distance behind the truck,” said Keller.