RIDIN' & SLIDIN'

MAT-SU — The first significant icing of Mat-Su Valley roads caused problems for many motorists Monday morning.

Early morning commuters put the rubber to a slick sheen of ice under a deceiving layer of snow for their commute to work yesterday. That same ice and snow put some of those commuters in the ditch.

Between midnight and noon Monday, law enforcement officials in the Valley responded to 18 vehicle-in-distress calls and 16 accidents, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

The number of calls kept sirens screaming around the Valley all morning.

Clint Vardeman, the Mat-Su Borough’s deputy director of emergency services, said ambulances began rolling out at 5:49 a.m., responding to mostly accidents producing minor injuries.

Vardeman said even a couple roll-overs resulted in only minor injuries, likely because the drivers were wearing their seatbelts.

In Palmer, police Commander Tom Remaley said his officers only responded to two accidents in the city area.

Remaley said it seemed drivers in Palmer slowed down a bit Monday morning, and road crews had time to sand and make area streets a bit safer.

Slowing down is one piece of advice Remaley said is crucial as Alaska enters its winter driving season.

Also, not becoming aggravated while following a motorist who is going slow because of conditions is important, he said.

There was evidence of some caution being exercised on roads Monday morning as well, and motorists on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway were traveling about 30 mph, well below the 55-mph speed limit.

It’s not just Mother Nature who can play havoc with the roads. Other motorists can have an unintentional impact on road conditions, too. The amount of traffic on the roads during the peak of rush hour seemed to make conditions worse Monday, Remaley said.

“It probably wasn’t too bad until a certain amount of traffic got things packed down too smooth,” he said.

Working against drivers was a layer of snow over a glare of ice that made for a confidence-boosting appearance. When that layer of snow blew away, only the shiny glare ice was left behind.

“It looked like snow on the road, but it was really pure ice,” Vardeman said.

Police in Wasilla were dealing with similar problems as their Palmer and Alaska State Troopers counterparts Monday.

Deputy Chief Greg Wood said accidents during the morning commute kept his officers tied up.

“It was a busy one,” Wood said. “The first snowfall or two is always a little more treacherous.”

Wood said it seems like motorists forget their winter driving skills until an icy commute shocks those skills back into them.

Wasilla officers are always prepared for accidents to occur, Wood said, adding they mentally prepare a bit more when winter weather is coming.

It’s likely safe to say whenever the temperature drops and precipitation follows, accidents will happen. Because of that, Vardeman has some advice for all motorists.

“Wear your seatbelt,” he said.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.