OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (NBC 26) — A tow ban was issued for I-41 and Highway 441 in Outagamie County on Friday because of the poor weather conditions.
So, if you're a driver, what does that mean for you?
If your car is in a ditch, and there is a tow ban in place, you're not going to get your car pulled out until the ban is lifted.
"Just be careful," Jill Coenen of Combined Locks said. "Back off, slow down, and just give everybody a little bit of room."
Tow bans are temporary, and get lifted once conditions improve.
Lieutenant Nathan Borman with the Outagamie County Sheriff's Office says tow bans are issued for everyone's safety.
"So, if a vehicle is off in the ditch and well of the roadway, there's no reason to recover that vehicle as long as we got the occupants out safely," Borman said.
That's because tow trucks take up space on the roads, and can be dangerous to traffic.
"Unfortunately, we've had fatalities where vehicles were being towed out of areas, and that created a traffic hazard, and crashes occurred," Borman said.
If there is a crash or a pileup while a tow ban is in place, that's a different story.
"The tow ban is not going to be lifted," Borman said. "The roadway is going to be shut down due to the crash."
And if you are stranded along the road during a tow ban, Borman says have someone pick you up, or call the sheriff's office.
"You'll simply have to wait until the tow ban is lifted before you can arrange for a wrecker service to come get your vehicle," Borman said.
So, if you don't want to slide off the road, especially during a tow ban, Borman says slow down.
"And if you end up in the ditch, and this is the price you have to pay, that's unfortunate," Borman said. "But, it's much better than causing a crash or risking other people's lives."
