Fun in the snow — at home, please

Elsewhere in today’s edition of the Suffolk News-Herald, you will find a long list of tips for staying safe during the major snow storm that we’re expecting this weekend in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina. Some of those tips also address safety in the frigid temperatures that are expected as the weekend gives way to Monday.

Regarding the first bit of bad weather, allow us to distill the advice as it pertains to the roads to this simple statement: If it is not absolutely necessary for you to drive on Saturday, then don’t.

Yes, we all know that you’ve got four-wheel drive and that you’re highly skilled in negotiating snow-covered roads. But seriously. Please don’t.

Every time Hampton Roads gets socked with snow and ice, it seems that there’s more traffic on the police scanner than there is at rush hour on a Friday at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. And believe us about this: The police chatter on those days isn’t about how well Tidewater drivers handle the snow.

Even if you avoid having an accident, your vehicle on the road can be a hindrance to crews working to get things cleared for everybody. A Saturday snowfall followed by a deep freeze early Monday morning already bodes ill for parents wondering whether their children will be in school next week. Public works crews need to be unhindered by other drivers to the greatest extent possible in order to be fully effective in their duties.

And if you really must drive, then do so slowly, deliberately and with great care. You can be sure the police will be busy. Even a small mishap that puts you into a ditch or a guardrail will only serve to further complicate what is likely to be an already complicated situation.

Otherwise, go out and enjoy the snow.