Q: When massive accidents due to weather conditions occur in Wisconsin and other states, many questions are raised about how such accidents occur. At what point should roads be shut down because they pose a danger to drivers?
A: That question was raised again on a national level after a massive car accident in Florida left at least 11 people dead and several more injured. In that tragic crash, the road had been closed for about three hours prior to the crash because of poor visibility caused by smoke and fog. Shortly after the road was reopened, the pileup occurred.
Since then, people have been asking why the road was reopened and how it could have happened. It’s also made people in Wisconsin and other states wonder what sort of regulations are in place for shutting down roads because of bad conditions.
The answer isn’t simple: According to a CBS News article, there are few guidelines or regulations when it comes to closing roads. No guidelines have been issued by federal transportation agencies about when roads should be closed due to poor conditions such as sand storms, heavy fog and fire or smoke.
In some states, a single trooper at the scene can determine whether a road should be closed. Officials often rely on officers monitoring road conditions to determine when to close a road.
