Last year, the Ohio Department of Transportation reported 140 crashes between their snow plows and motorists.
So far this year, there’s been 54 crashes at last count. ODOT spokeswoman Melissa Ayers would like that figure to stay put.
“Our dedicated men and women are out there working really hard, and a typical snow plow travels between 30 and 35 miles an hour," says Ayers. "So if you’re traveling at a significantly greater amount of speed, you can come up on those plows pretty quickly. So I think the number one thing is to give them plenty of room to work, they’re there to make the roads safe and passable for everyone.”
ODOT advises driving at least 100 feet behind a snow plow truck. The trucks have green and yellow strobelights to make them stand out better in stormy conditions.
The 2013-2014 winter saw ODOT’s 1,600 vehicles logging more than 15 million miles across the state, spreading more than a million tons of salt.