Snow Plow Safety in North Dakota Cities

With the heavy amount of snowfall North Dakota has experienced recently, travel has been tough. Snow plows with huge blades and loading trucks dominate city streets in an effort to clear the roadways and make it safe for drivers. Snow plow safety is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling in the winter.

The biggest problem the snow plow operators experience is when drivers crowd the snow plow operator's blind spots. My local Public Works Director explained. "The snow plow operator sits up high in the loader which has four huge mirrors. When there's a vehicle, especially a car, right behind him, he can't see it. It's a blind spot to him. The snow plow operator is going back and forth with the loader, whether they're hauling snow or if he's blading the streets, and that equipment doesn't just go straight forward. When the snow plow operator comes to intersections or places where there is a lot of snow, he has to back up, take another cut and keep going. It's a lot for the snow plow operator to watch, especially if there is quite a bit of traffic. He has to watch for people on all sides. It's pretty easy for someone to sneak up behind him and the snow plow operator just doesn't see them."

The snow plows and loaders are marked with signs warning drivers to stay back 50 feet, which is the law in North Dakota. For perspective, three car lengths is approximately 60 feet.

The Public Works Director stated snow plow operators do everything they can to ensure the safety of all while maintaining an efficient schedule, so cooperation from drivers is imperative. "Blading and scraping the streets, and hauling the snow is tough, because people get impatient. They want to get around the corner, they want to get through the intersection, and we can't wait for everybody. If we wait for everybody, we won't ever get the streets clean So we have to try to be aggressive, but we have to be safe."

When a driver happens upon city snow plows, it can be a very scary situation to see the huge snow plows barreling toward their vehicle. The Public Works Director related the necessity for speed. "The snow plow operator has to keep a certain amount of speed up in the blade for the snow to come out on the sides and up onto the boulevard, especially when we have quite a bit of snow.

"He starts in the center of street with the snow plow, and he keeps bringing it to the outside. Every pass the snow plow operator makes, the snow doubles, and he has to keep up a certain amount of speed, otherwise the blade just sits there and spins. The snow plow operator can't crawl along. A snow plow is a big piece of equipment, and it takes power to move snow.

"Drivers have work with us and give us some room. If you see the equipment is working down the block, go the other way. Come around from a different direction. It goes faster, and that's also why we like to start early in the morning," he said.

In fact, a lot of the snow plow blading is done before daylight. "Sometimes we start at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m., to try to get it done before traffic starts. People start coming to work, taking the kids to school, and there's a lot of traffic between 7:30 and 9:00," he said.

Snow plow and loader operators work long hours after a heavy snowfall. "It isn't so bad when we have a light snowfall. But the heavier the snowfall, the more dangerous it is because we have to make more passes down the street. Normally if it's a light snowfall, the snow plow operator makes two passes down the street with the blade. If we get six inches or more, he'll have to make three passes and sometimes four. It gets piled up on the boulevards and it takes longer to clean," he said.

Remember to stay back 50 feet and avoid the area the city employees are cleaning, if possible. Keeping this information in mind will help keep everyone safe: you, your passengers, other drivers, and the snow plow operators.