Caution Near Snow Plows urged by MODot
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in by MoDOT, Featured, GSD Online
As the Kansas City area prepares for its fifth snowstorm of the season, MoDOT urges drivers to stay back, watch out and make 2010′s first snowstorm safe and incident free.
Plowing snow is safer and quicker when there’s no traffic to dodge, especially during blinding blizzard conditions. Don’t go out during a snowstorm. If you can’t avoid travel, buckle up and drive slowly.
However, if motorists try to pass plow trucks or follow too close, they risk interfering or even colliding with MoDOT equipment.
“Stay at least four car lengths back of our equipment – more if possible,” said Jim Burgess, MoDOT Maintenance Engineer. “Pay attention to our equipment on these trucks, like TowPlows, spreaders and wing plows that can be on either side of the truck.”
TowPlows allow one truck to cover 2½ lanes. They take up a lot of area and don’t have headlights, so they are difficult to see. If you are merging, look around the snow plow to see whether it is towing a TowPlow or has deployed its wing plow. A “strike team” may include several plow trucks, some with TowPlows and wing plows, and block all lanes on a major highway.
Salt brine trucks have a sign on the back warning motorists to “Stay Back, 100 Feet.” That is for your safety as well as the drivers. They can’t see you and the brine sprays across three traffic lanes whether you are driving in them or not.
Burgess said that plowed dry snow being pushed off the highway can create a cloud of snow near the truck that can be blinding to motorists trying to pass. Plow trucks may travel 45 miles per hour, but in heavy snows slow down to only 20 miles per hour. Some drivers following behind a strike team may become impatient, but trying to pass is dangerous to both the driver and the plow operators.
“Our plow truck drivers have to focus on snow removal, and cannot always watch out for motorists. They may not see a vehicle is trying to pass, or even realize it has collided with our heavy plow trucks,” Burgess said. “Staying far behind our plow trucks also keeps you safe and your vehicle away from the spreader, which throws out salt, sand and cinders that can scratch and pit your vehicle’s painted surfaces.”
MoDOT’s protocol during snowstorms is to clear interstates and major highways first. That means plowing the mainline with strike teams of five, six or more trucks and equipment. Once all lanes of the highway are clear, trucks may divide to clear ramps and troublespots. Minor routes, such as rural highways, are cleared as soon as possible, once major routes are open.
If you are clearing a driveway along a state highway and want to prevent MoDOT from plowing snow across your drive, clear out a notch to the left along the shoulder of the highway where plowed snow will go.
For more information, please visit http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on Twitter or send questions and comments to kccommunityrelations@modot.mo.gov.
