Tips for Sharing the Road with a Snow Plow

When snow covers the roads here in PA, snow plows come to the rescue.

Plows help make dangerous roads safer, but when sharing the road with a plow, you should still use extra caution.

Tips for Driving Around Snow Plows

Give a plow plenty of space. The plow itself can extend over the center line, so keep this in mind as you share the road with an oncoming plow.  The same rule applies if you’re behind the plow. Allow plenty of extra space in between your vehicle and the plow, as they may make unexpected stops or turns. And, due to their limited field of vision, the space directly behind the plow is a blind spot.

If you’re traveling behind a snow plow, it’s a good idea to stay there. They tend to travel more slowly than the speed limit, but the road behind the plow is likely to be safer than the road ahead.  If you must get around the plow, do so with great caution and never pass a plow on the right. Again, don’t assume that the plow operator can see you.

Maintain a safe speed. If plows are out, chances are the roads are in less than ideal condition, so a reduced speed is wise. Plows can make sudden stops and turns, and they can kick up clouds of snow that limit visibility. Take your time to reach your destination safely.

*Bonus Tip*

Here’s a bonus snow plow tip from PennDOT:

Does this sound familiar? That moment when you’ve finished shoveling your driveway, only to have a snow plow come along and unload along your driveway’s edge. To avoid this, shovel the snow to the right side of the driveway as you are facing the intersecting road. By piling the snow away from the direction of the oncoming snow plows, the snow will not be pushed back onto the driveway.

With some extra caution and patience, you can help PennDOT make our roads safer and avoid a true emergency. If you find yourself in a weather-related car accident, our car accident lawyers offer free consultations every day.