Snowplow Safety
The Minnesota Department of Transportation's snowplow fleet will be out in force keeping our roadways safe again this winter. Driving too close to snow removal equipment can be extremely dangerous.
Photo: Mn/DOT, David Gonzalez
- Snowplow Safety Tips
- Yield to snowplows. They travel slower than posted speeds.
- Give snowplow drivers plenty of room to do their jobs.
- Never drive into a snow cloud.
- Slow down! Never use cruise control on wet or icy roads.
- Stay alert. A snowplow weighs 17 times more than a car. In a crash, occupants of a car are much more likely to be seriously injured.
- Be patient. Follow at a safe distance. Allow at least five car lengths between your vehicle and a snowplow.
Photo: Mn/DOT, David Gonzalez
- For Current Road Conditions
- Dial 511 or visit www.511mn.org
- MN Relay Service: 1-800-627-3529, TTY or ASCI
Contact
- Minnesota Department of Transportation
Beth Petrowske, Work Zone Safety Public Awareness Coordinator
Phone: 651-366-4280
Web site: www.dot.state.mn.us
- A Snow Plow --- Cool!
Provided by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, this nine-minute video, teaching materials and teacher's guide are free and are available to all elementary school teachers.
The colorful video, designed for grades 2, 3 and 4, features a snowplow driver named Wendy who explains snowplow safety tips to children. Two child characters, Althea and her neighbor Donnie, are excited to play outside after a fresh snowfall. They decide to build a snow fort close to the road in a large mound of snow. Fortunately, as Wendy drives down the street she sees a sled and shovels lying near the mound of snow. She senses that children could be playing in the mound of snow and stops her truck to share some important and potentially life saving safety tips.
The video will teach children:- How large and powerful snowplows are
- How dangerous they can be
- That there are different types of snowplows
- That it is difficult for snowplow drivers to see children
- That sometimes it is difficult to hear snowplows as they approach
- That children should move into a safe area as snowplows approach
- That children should never build snow forts near the street and should never put a roof on a snow fort.
To order "A Snow Plow --- Cool!" contact: Kent Barnard, Mn/DOT Public Affairs Coordinator 651-234-7504
Please allow two weeks for delivery.
