Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia tweeted Friday morning that he was, “Proud of all the drivers I saw on my way in today! If you have to get somewhere, slow and steady wins the race.”
Proud of all the drivers I saw on my way in today! If you have to get somewhere, slow and steady wins the race. @DallasPD appreciates you!
— Eddie Garcia (@DPDChiefGarcia) February 4, 2022
Friday morning Dallas Fire-Rescue public information officer Jason Evans reported that citywide DFR had received calls on 187 accidents during the span between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 3:30 p.m. today.
“Though we’ve seen a slight increase in the number of accidents, it is still less than what we expected to have responded to,” Evans tells us. “We believe with the incorporation of work from home measures, that most businesses began using during the pandemic, that has helped keep a lot of people off the road who would have had to drive in otherwise. That in addition to people understanding the importance of not getting on the road unless it is absolutely necessary has also helped to keep the numbers relatively low.”
Although things thawed around neighborhood streets as the sun broke through this afternoon, Pete Delkus — who is still winning social media (see below)— says “don’t let your guard down.”
See how winning?
“The sun and above freezing temps today helped us out a lot. But as temps drop well below freezing tonight, black ice is possible tonight and Saturday morning,” Delkus tweeted Friday afternoon.
DFW Scanner, which continuously shares information related to current traffic incidents and emergencies, notes, “If you have any errands to run, do it before sunset and avoid any bridges or hills along your route.”
For a steady stream of active traffic incidents in Dallas, you can also follow Dallas Fire Rescue Traffic on Twitter.
We’ve been keeping an eye on it today and the last 12 hours have seen (in Advocate coverage areas) accidents on busier highways and thoroughfares including several along Central Expressway, at least one on Skillman in the Lake Highlands area, multiple along LBJ in North and East Dallas vicinity, one on North Hampton, on E. Mockingbird and a couple on Riverfront near the Design District.
Less-busy areas have had a share of accidents too — in northern Lake Highlands/bordering Richardson we saw a Walnut Street-Audelia accident and another near Forest-Audelia; one at Beckley and the FW Turnpike and another near Sylvan and I-30; an accident in North Dallas near Marsh and Walnut Hill and another at Alexis and Preston.
Evans also reported 30 utility wires down citywide (during that above mentioned timeline).
The ERCOT dashboard shows “normal” conditions as of Friday evening.
Please let us know if you have any outrageous traffic or weather stories to tell.