The Indiana State Police in Indianapolis will begin clearing abandoned vehicles from Interstates, State Roads and U.S. Highways in advance of the approaching weather system forecast for this weekend. According to District Commander Lieutenant Jeffrey Payne the plan is to begin removing vehicles left along the roadside Friday January 18th, at the conclusion of afternoon rush hour. This is common practice for incoming winter weather. Lieutenant Payne stated, “The safety of all motorists is our number one priority, we will closely monitor the weather and adjust manpower to provide a proper response.” He also said, “Often times Troopers are called into work on their day off or asked to adjust their schedule when road conditions become hazardous.” Last weekend Troopers from the Indianapolis District responded to more than 153 crashes, 14 of which resulted in injuries and one fatality. They also handled more then 46 slide-offs.
Contrary to the usual practice of tagging abandoned vehicles for two hours within I-465 and 24 or 72 hours for abandoned vehicles in other areas, all abandoned vehicles, regardless of allotted time, will towed. These vehicles will be towed to reduce the risk to other drivers and to allow snow removal equipment to safely clear the roadways. All major highway systems in the seven county coverage of the Indianapolis District will be given priority. If your vehicle is towed from one of these locations contact the Indianapolis Post at 317-899-8577 for assistance with locating it.
Now is the time to start preparing yourself and your vehicle for winter driving conditions. Your car should have a full tank of gas, be equipped with blankets, an ice scrapper, water, and ensure your cell phone is fully charged. When driving, first and foremost reduce your speed, unsafe speed is the number one factor in winter weather related crashes. It is also very important to increase following distance to allow for more time to safely react to potential hazards. Be sure all of the snow and ice is cleared from all windows and headlights and fill your windshield wiper fluid. Turn on your headlights when driving in inclement weather, do not rely on your vehicle’s automatic headlights.
Please do not call the Indiana State Police for road or weather information, it is essential for us to keep our phone lines open for emergency calls.
For road and weather conditions visit www.Trafficwise@in.gov. For current county travel advisories, please visit https://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/