Many of the roadways in the Illinois State Police District 13 area were plagued yesterday morning with slick surfaces, causing treacherous traveling conditions.  Illinois State Police District 13 Troopers handled 17 crashes Thursday, due to the poor roadway conditions, mostly in the northern portions of the district, including Washington County.  Two of those 17 were personal injury crashes.  Illinois State Police District 13 & 22 Commander William Sons said, “We would like to encourage people to be aware of potentially hazardous roadway conditions this time of the year.  As we enter winter, motorists should pay special attention to surface conditions.  We would recommend they leave early, allow more following distance between vehicles and slow down as conditions can change very quickly.”  Motorists should also be aware of Illinois Department of Transportation Snow Removal Operations while traveling.  The ISP also reminds travelers of Scott’s Law, or the Move Over Law, which requires motorists to move out of the lane adjacent to a stopped emergency vehicle.  If they are not able to do so because of traffic, motorists are required to slow down and proceed with caution.  Stopped emergency vehicles include police, fire, ambulance, IDOT and tow vehicles.  Motorists are also encouraged to plan ahead now.  Make sure to have extra coats, blankets, gloves and hats, and high energy food and water.  Their vehicles should also be prepared for winter by traveling with at least a half a tank of fuel, check antifreeze levels, washer fluid levels and ensure an overall roadworthiness.  For a complete list of suggested items, go to ready.illinois.gov.  For local travel conditions, motorists can check the gettingaroundillinois.com website as well.