GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As we look ahead to the next few days of snowfall, first responders are urging people to slow down.
During the last major snowfall event, they were busy taking 911 calls and responding to multiple crashes.
During major winter weather events, first responders typically respond to multi-vehicle accidents on the larger freeways including US-131, I-96 and M-6.
They're encouraging drivers to take it easy when visibility is low and roads are dangerously slick.
"I know that we're all busy. We have kids to get to the school, to get to work on time, but we just invite everyone to pause take a breath and slow down a little bit," said Sgt. Eric Brunner, a spokesperson with the Kent County Sheriff's Office.
First responders are out risking their lives and also want to get back to their destinations safely.
Earlier this month, two Michigan State Police patrol troopers were hit by drivers while out on I-94. Thankfully there were no serious injuries.
There were two instances where Kent County Sheriff's deputies were struck by other drivers over the last several weeks.
One deputy was rear-ended while assisting along the expressway, and another was struck head-on by a driver who lost control during slippery conditions.
Brunner reminds people to leave adequate space between you and the vehicle ahead of you and knowing the condition of your tires is important.
"Having sufficient tire tread depth. If you're not familiar, you don't know what to do, seek someone's help out. Seek a professional so you have adequate tread depth," Brunner said.
According to Michigan State Police, there were 4,838 crashes last year, 20 of which were fatal. The majority were property damage crashes. 6.5% of the crashes involved a distracted driver, and 3.7% involved drugs and alcohol.
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