Oklahoma road crews battle ice and snow to prevent weather-related accidents

Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews are hard at work hoping to curb the number of weather-related accidents.

“I saw one roll over and I've seen several people just slide off the road,” said Danny Lingerfelt with The Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Equipped with more than 500 multipurpose trucks across the state — 50 of them allocated to the Oklahoma City area, teams of employees were on the road by 1 a.m.

Assigned to treat a stretch of highway that spanned from Guthrie to Stillwater, Lingerfelt estimated he’d drive around 600 miles.

With his truck loaded down with a salt and sand solution Lingerfelt can do dual duty.

“I've got a plow in the front. I can turn side aside and clear the roads once it broke up and slushy,” said Lingerfelt.

Dispersed throughout the day — motorists can more safely traverse highways and interstates.

“The salt will melt the ice, and the sand gives you traction and also dries up the water,” said Lingerfelt.

Inside the cab of his truck, Lingerfelt has a lot to juggle. He operates a complex system while keeping a close eye on the road. 

“We have a lot going on in the cab of that truck, sometimes it's hard to pay attention to everybody around us,” said Lingerfelt.

Motorists are asked to remain 200 feet behind ODOT trucks at all times — a distance equivalent to the length of four school buses.

“It's important for people around us to see us and give us room to do our job,” said Lingerfelt.

Despite the size of their trucks, Lingerfelt says even their vehicles aren’t immune to icy conditions.

“There's nothing on wheels that goes well on ice,” said Lingerfelt.