Winter weather is on the way and drivers have to be aware of the roads they drive on.

As winter approaches, people forget they have to slow down a bit, said DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott.

Road conditions can change quickly, he said. The conditions may vary depending on what roads are used.

Drivers should watch out for ice and wind when driving on the interstate and county roads, Scott said.

The wind speed is higher on these roads because there is nothing to block it, he said.

Black ice is an extremely dangerous winter road hazard because it is not seen, Scott said.

Black ice is a layer of ice that is hard to see by the naked eye and even harder to see after a long drive.

“You’ll start sliding before you notice it,” he said. “People don’t know they’ve hit it before it’s too late.”

It’s legal to put chains on car tires in the winter, Scott said. But only in bad weather.

“Chains are only legal in ice, snow or other conditions that cause a vehicle to skid,” Scott said. “But not for normal highway driving or at normal speeds.”

Like civilians, police officers also have to adapt their driving to seasonal weather.

DeKalb Police Sgt. Wes Hoadly has spent almost 20 years as a police officer and said the department prepares the cars to handle winter driving conditions.

Each year the squad cars get snow tires and winter windshield wipers put on them.

“The car gets better traction and visibility,” Hoadly said.

From call to call, police have to drive slower than normal, he said.

“We have to drive just as cautious as everybody else,” Hoadly said.

If a police car gets stuck, the car gets pushed or towed out and police officers are back to work.