Snowplows will soon be out on the highways making sure they are clear of ice and snow so that they are safe to travel on.
However, motorists are being reminded not to get lost “in the snow cloud” and to use caution around plows.
“As you can see, our trucks are very large units, and you want to give us as much space and room as possible. As the saying goes, stay back and stay safe,” said snowplow operator Bryan Sherman.
Snowplows generally travel between 30 to 60 km/h depending on the weather conditions either plowing snow and slush and laying down salt with calcium chloride to help the salt stick to the road.
Sherman asks motorists to use patience as they try to pull over every 10 to 15 kilometres to allow traffic to pass.
He noted that slowing down around snowplows is for the safety of the motorist as well as the plow operator, especially when road conditions are less than ideal.
He recalled one close call he had a couple of years ago south of Regina.
“Northbound traffic was coming towards me. There were about six or seven cars heading northbound. The very back car in the line of traffic coming towards me decided they were going to pass on the solid ice and lost control,” Sherman said.
According to Sherman, the vehicle narrowly missed his snowplow and ended up in the ditch.
Sherman said, if you plan to head out on the highways this winter, you should always check the Highway Hotline first to check out the road conditions.
“Use the Highway Hotline. Keep it at the top of your checklist and snowplow operators like myself are out there working hard to provide safe road conditions for you and your family,” he said.
The Ministry of Highways recently announced that a 30-second commercial touting the Highway Hotline will be playing in movie theatre trailers across the province.
Wed, Jul 17, 7:30 PM
