1/27/2006
Be cautious around snow removal equipment
BOISE - When winter storms hit, maintenance crews from the Idaho Transportation Department send out a fleet of snow removal equipment to clear the roadways.
"Our snow fighting team is out in force when a storm hits, working long hours to keep our highways in safe winter driving condition," says Dave Jones, ITD State Maintenance Engineer. "That means motorists are likely to come upon snowplows and other large equipment moving slowly on the roadway at some point this winter."
"Let common sense guide your driving behavior this winter," he adds. "Allow extra time and slow down."
Each season, crews report unsafe behaviors that cause concern:
- Kids playing in the snow spray at bus stops. In
many rural communities, school bus stops are located along the highway.
"Kids sometimes play the dangerous game of running through the spray
ejected from the snowplow," Jones says. "They don't realize that what
appears to be light, fluffy snow may actually weigh 200 pounds or more.
If it's wet or icy, the spray could easily be 800 pounds -- overwhelming
to a 60 pound child." For safety, kids are urged
to move away from the side of the road when a snowplow approaches.
- Passing a plow. Motorists are advised not to pass a plow on the side where snow is being ejected. The force of spraying snow can knock a car out of control. Horizontal wing blades may extend beyond the plow and can be difficult to see when covered with snow. When motorists pass a wing plow, collisions can occur. Pass only on the left when it is clearly safe to do so and visibility is good.
- Following too closely. "Every year, there are people who drive into the back of our plows," Jones says. "Motorists who tailgate a plow can find themselves lost in a snow cloud. They can't see the road or the plow in front of them in time to stop." Blizzard-like conditions can occur when snow is caught by the wind and swirls around the plow.
Working snowplows travel at 25-30 mph. Plow drivers pull over to give motorists a chance to pass when it is safe.
As part of a campaign to increase safety around snow removal equipment, the transportation department is airing radio and television ads featuring Connie Marshall. Marshall is a snowplow driver in southwest Idaho and a 21-year department veteran. In the ads, she urges parents to make sure children stand back from the road when snowplows pass.
"Together, we can all have a safe winter," Marshall says.