South Brunswick Motorists Urged to Use Caution During Tuesday Morning Commute

South Brunswick commuters should expect sloppy driving conditions on their way to work Tuesday morning, according to the latest weather forecasts.

Police urge motorists to leave extra travel time for their morning commute on Tuesday. While Saturday's storm caused limited accidents as most people avoided driving, the weekday storm on Dec. 10 caused over 40 accidents, including cars simply sliding off the roadway, in South Brunswick last week.

The largest number of accidents occurred on the more rural roads in South Brunswick's east side.

Tomorrow's forecast calls for light snowfall for much of the state beginning late Monday night and extending into Tuesday.

Although the forecast calls for between 2 and 3 inches of accumulation for most of central New Jersey, including Mercer and Middlesex counties, the steadiest snow is expected during the hours of 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The snow may mix with or change to rain by the end of Tuesday afternoon, with an additional dusting of snow possible for Tuesday night.

Residents are also reminded that a Township ordinance requires snow removal from sidewalks immediately following a storm. Several residents have reported to police concerns over sidewalks that were not cleared during the most recent storm. 

Police said the problems were greatest near and around the different elementary schools in Kendall Park. 

Township residents who own or occupy a home on a public street must remove snow and ice from an abutting sidewalk within 12 hours after the first daybreak from the storm and apply sand, salt or another harmless substance to the ice not removed from the sidewalk.

Tips from police for driving on icy roads:

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4.  Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
6. Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
7. Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.