UScellular, which has an Appomattox store, reminds Virginians to be careful during rainy, snowy and cold weather and to not hold cell phones while driving.

When roads get wet and temperatures drop, road conditions can deteriorate quickly. According to Insurify, Virginia is the fifth most dangerous state in America for driving. A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates 17 percent of all vehicle crashes occur during the wintertime with about 70 percent of the U.S. population living in snowy regions.

Anxious drivers may also be tempted to reach for their cell phones while navigating roads, but beside being dangerous, it will soon be illegal. Virginia drivers are required to put their phones down while driving starting Jan. 1, according to legislation enacted earlier this year.

“Inclement road conditions can be tricky for anyone to navigate, so it’s important that drivers remain safe by keeping their eyes on the road and keeping their hands off their devices while driving,” Bertram Daniels, area sales manager for UScellular said. “By utilizing their phone’s built-in hands-free features as well as the right accessories, drivers can stay connected to essential information and resources, while still obeying the law and driving safely.”

The following are winter weather driving tips from UScellular:

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.

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