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| Michigan Road conditions can change at a moments notice. I know that people say this about every state, but it really is true in Michigan: if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. Although Michigan drivers are a little better able to adjust to sudden foul weather than drivers in some other states I've lived in, there is more than enough foul weather to make up for it! This is why I always listen to traffic conditions before I go anywhere. Ever since I first started driving, in fact, I have listened to the weather report on the radio. My parents actually insisted on it when they were training me to drive. I thought it was a little bit silly at the time. Every time my mom would get into a car, the first thing she would do was to turn on AM radio and listen to the traffic condition report. Even if it was a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, she insisted on it.
Then one day, we got a freak rainstorm. It came out of nowhere, along with high wind conditions. If she had not been listening to the traffic conditions, we would have been stuck in the middle of it. As it was, we were barely able to make it home in time to avoid the worst part of the storm. The lights went out, and it took 20 hours for them to restore power. There were accidents and pile-ups all over the road, but fortunately we were inside before the traffic conditions got really deadly.
Of course, most of the radio traffic reports were only of limited usefulness. Before live traffic cams, you would only get so much information. Most of the traffic condition reports only tackled the major highways. You could usually figure out what traffic conditions you were likely to face if you knew the area you were driving in, but it was still kind of hit or miss.
That is why the Internet is such a boon to travelers. Although I can't always check the online traffic reports, I do whenever I get a chance. Usually, I check the local weather before I even leave the house in the morning. I know it isn't necessary, but it gives me peace of mind as well as some additional safety. I figure that that alone is worth it, particularly because I don't have to pay anything for the service.
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