If you ever find yourself in the midst of a winter snowstorm, there may come a time when you’re forced to share the road with a snowplow. This will require a slew of precautions that you don’t necessarily have to take with other vehicles, and the risk of a crash is compounded when the roads are icy. To protect yourself, consider the tips available in a recent report out of Michigan.
First, understand the shortcomings of plows and adjust your own driving maneuvers to take into account these limitations. Drivers of plows will not always be able to see their full surroundings because of the nature of their vehicles, and this problem will be exacerbated as the snow and debris get tossed into the air behind the conveyance.
Because of this, you want to stay far away from any snowplows, and if there ever comes a time when you need to pass, never do so on the righthand side, as the arc of the plow may toss more snow in that direction and the blade itself could be disguised by the snow, leading you to strike it accidentally. Pass slowly but surely on the lefthand side instead.
If the plow hasn’t yet come down your residential street, you can help out the person behind the wheel by moving your vehicle into a driveway if it’s parked out on the street. The same goes for any garbage cans, which can also be knocked down by the wind and fall into the path of the plow.