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Driving can be tricky during wintry weather such as what our region has experienced during the past week. For some, the need to travel wins out over being patient and waiting for weather to clear up and roads to be properly treated. That means some drivers are out and about at the same time as snowplows and salt trucks -- and not necessarily with a proper understanding of the rules of the road.
According to a report by WBNS-TV in Columbus, there have been at least 14 crashes involving snowplows in Ohio so far this year.
"Folks, I can't stress this enough: Pay attention and give our crews room to work," Matt Bruning, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Transportation, said in a social media post. "There is no reason for anyone to be hitting snowplows."
Bruning made a simple request on social media: "Stop hitting our plows." His words came after four ODOT crews across the state were hit on Friday.
It's a simple matter of giving crews the time and space to do their jobs, something that doesn't always happen. Last year, ODOT said 56 of its crews were struck. And while that's far too many accidents, it is down significantly from the 153 accidents reported during 2002.
"These accidents could be avoided if drivers give us space," Ashley Rittenhouse, public information officer for ODOT District 10, said last week.
It takes a lot of work to keep Ohio's roads clear. According to ODOT, that means utilizing 3,000 drivers and 1,500 plow trucks to cover more than 43,000 lane miles of state and U.S. routes outside of municipalities and all interstates. That fleet is maintained by 215 mechanics.
As of Thursday, ODOT had used 158,135 tons of salt and 5,121,270 gallons of liquid de-icer across the state.
That material has been applied by drivers who have covered 2,310,267 miles while logging 316,631 hours.
Keeping drivers safe while they are working to make roads safe for you to travel is simple: Don't follow too closely behind a snowplow -- stay at least 200 feet behind it. Never pass a snowplow on the right. Be aware of where the plows are on the road, and never drive through a snow cloud. Don't crowd the plow and be aware of the driver's blind spots.
Winter driving can be dangerous enough. The men and women driving snowplows and salt trucks are doing their best to make the roads safer and get us all on our way. Be patient and let them do their jobs without the added worry of having an over-confident driver crash into them.
They've got enough on their minds. The rest of us can show our gratitude for the job snowplow drivers do by not putting them at greater risk while they do it.