Photo: WYDOTFour snowplows in Wyoming have been the victims of wrecks in 2017, causing the state’s department of transportation to urge motorists to be more careful when driving in snow.
The agency says motorists should keep a safer distance from the plows, which travel 25 to 45 mph.
“A 12-foot plow can create a pretty good fog of snow,” says Mark Gillett, WYDOT assistant chief engineer of operations. “If a motorist is coming up behind a cloud of snow, they shouldn’t just drive into it because there may be a snowplow in there. If motorists see something like that, they need to stay back. They should wait until they can see the truck and then cautiously pass if they need to.”
The two most recent incidents occurred in December and involved vehicles hitting snowplows on Interstates 25 and 80 during separate storms. Both wrecks damaged the snowplows and put them out of commission for the rest of the day.
On average, WYDOT reports, 5.6 snowplow trucks were involved in collisions each year between 2012 and 2016.
“We’re urging motorists to be patient when driving in wintry conditions,” Gillett said. “Our snowplow drivers are out there working hard to clear the roads and make them safe for motorists to get to their destinations.”
