Sunny skies are predicted for southeast Iowa this Thanksgiving holiday, but law enforcement urges motorists not to be carefree when it comes to other distractions and hazards that can be found on the road.

Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider urges drivers to always follow the speed limit, buckle their seatbelts, and keep their phone down in order to safely reach family and friends this holiday weekend. He mentions that the free Iowa 511 mobile app and website can be useful not only when white flakes touch the ground, “You can look on there, see if you have any roadway blockages or anything like that because an hour, hour and a half away from you, you don’t necessarily know what’s going on and you might get into a situation where traffic is slowed down. And then you’re going to be running behind schedule which then sometimes makes people react differently, get in a hurry, and then bad things can happen when you’re rushed and trying to go where you need to go to spend the time with your family.”

Schneider also urges adults who choose to imbibe in alcohol this weekend to plan ahead and have a sober driver to make sure you arrive home without endangering yourself and others you meet on the road. You can hear more about this and winter driving during a two-part Halcyon House Washington Page with Schneider on air today and at kciiradio.com.