As a hard freeze approaches, the Georgia Department of Transportation reminds you to turn off sprinkler systems with automatic timers set to run overnight.

Sprinkler systems operating near a highway can create hazardous icy spots for motorists the next morning during a winter freeze. Drivers are cautioned to be on the lookout for icy patches or black ice in the early morning hours.

Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges, overpasses and low lying areas. It can appear at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture, from sprinklers, runoff or precipitation on the roadway.