No snow, no ice, no rain but yet another dicey drive on Omaha streets. For the third day in a row the police department suspended non-injury accident reports.
OPD says the decision is not based on how many crashes there are but also road conditions, how many officers are working, and how many other high priority calls are active at that time.
On Monday dispatch called police to respond to 87 collisions. On Tuesday and Wednesday about 90 crashes each but that does not include non-injury collision where police didn't respond. People were asked to exchange information and move to the side of the road.
City Engineer Todd Pfitzer says the friction between tires and roads are greatly reduced when it's this cold out so it takes longer to stop. He says sub-zero temps affect your car no matter if it's old or brand new.
"When it's cold like this people just need to understand that it physically takes longer for that car to come to a stop from the same speed as it would when it's 75 degrees outside and most people don't account for that," Pfitzer explained.
Pfitzer suggests leaving 5 minutes earlier so you can take your time getting where you need to go. Also, give yourself an extra cushion when driving behind someone.
