RACINE COUNTY — It’s a busy time of year for the Department of Public Works in Racine County. During a weather event, 57 drivers and 32 plow trucks are on the roadways to make sure they’re safe and clear to travel on.
Julie Anderson, the Director of Racine County’s Department of Public Works, said snow plow drivers face many challenges like reduced visibility and slick conditions but one of the most difficult challenges is other drivers.
"We can do the best we can to control snow removal and ice management but driver behaviors are one of the most difficult things to handle and people need to slow down," said Anderson.
On the back of the snow plow vehicles, you’ll see signs that say to stay at least 200 feet back, it’s actually illegal to travel any closer.
It's legal to pass a snowplow vehicle but drivers should exercise extra caution when doing so.
"The plows stick out from the side of the trucks up to 10 feet and they can spray a lot of snow. It really creates an unsafe condition for everyone," said Anderson.
Most traffic crashes that occur during winter weather events are due to drivers traveling too fast for the conditions, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
"Our drivers are professional drivers and we want to make sure they are focused on clearing the roads and making the road safe....we don't want to have to worry about if vehicles are tailgating our plows and interrupting salting operations," said Anderson.
Julie said staying a safe distance away from snow plow vehicles helps ensure everyone’s safety.
"Always allow time to get to your destination and give our plow drivers a break because they can only drive so fast to remove snow," said Anderson.
