COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the Ohio Department of Transportation prepares to respond to snow overnight in central Ohio, drivers are reminded to use caution when they share the road with a snowplow.
ODOT reported that nine trucks have been struck in the first few weeks of 2024, more than double compared to the same period last year.
More than 200 crews will be out overnight clearing snow. ODOT is asking drivers to give snowplows an extra lane or two if possible and to stay as far away as possible so crews can work.
“Our plow trucks are very large vehicles, they have a lot of moving parts. Our drivers are monitoring the situation with the snow in front of them they are dropping salt behind them so they have got a lot of moving parts. We just want to remind drivers to give us as much room as possible so they are able to clear the roads,” said Hannah Salem with ODOT District 6.
ODOT has shared video on Facebook of several of this year’s incidents, including vehicles trying and failing to pass ODOT trucks and some other close calls.
When a plow is hit, Salem said it can also slow down the response to snow emergencies.
“When a snowplow does get hit, that is a snow plow that has to be taken off the roads and has to be covered by the other crews on the road which lengthens that time that the road has to be cleared, so we want to remind drivers to please give us as much room as possible,” Salem said.
Matt McGuire has been behind the wheel of a snowplow for the last five years. He said it is distracting when cars get too close.
“It is frustrating as a driver because my eyes are on my material, my blade, I am trying to watch as I am throwing my snow and then to look over and I have got a car in my blind spot that is passing me really close at hand, that is not a good situation for me or that driver because the last thing I want to see is someone hurt as a result of trying to get around me while I am clearing the roads,” McGuire said.
When he is out on the roads, he hopes drivers are considerate of his safety and their own.
“The more room you can give us, the happier we will be and the clearer we can get the roads in less time,” McGuire said.
In 2023, 56 ODOT crews were struck, down from 153 incidents in 2022.