Deputy Scott Macomber of the Ingham County Sheriff's Office has no problem dolling out advice on winter driving.

"See that car in front of us? He's following the truck too close, there's maybe a car length or two," Macomber said Thursday. "Mostly on the freeways people think they can still do 75 mph."

That's because he sees too many wintry accidents on a first-hand basis.

"I'm doing 50 mph right now and people are passing me with ease," he said. "They usually are the ones I find in a ditch later up the road."

The traffic unit deputy has been going non-stop since his shift began Thursday. When Newsten joined him, he had already responded to six accidents.

Make that number seven.

"We've been dispatched to an accident on 127 south of Kipp Road," Macomber said. "It happened in the city of Mason, but they needed help shutting down the road."

What's shocking to Macomber, is that it only takes a few changes to avoid winter driving accidents.

"Slow down, keep a safe distance between cars," he said, "and don't be on the roads if you don't have to be."

It's a message drivers have heard before.

"I'm not the one who listens well, but I had a slip and now I'm much more careful," Arden Heverly said.

"They should listen, but some people with four-wheel drive think they can go anywhere," John Curreli said.

But this time, Macomber hopes drivers are listening.

The tri-county area Road Commissions, Eaton, Clinton and Ingham counties, all say they will have begun a full plow by 5 am Friday, so morning rush hour should be better than Thursday's. Police still urge people to stay off the roads if possible.