Snow plow drivers hoping to reverse course on dangerous crash trend

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- With Monday's winter storm now in the rearview mirror, officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation are reflecting on the first significant snow fall in more than two years.

After a relatively safe 2024, the division said it is hoping a new campaign will help shift a growing and dangerous trend into reverse. So far this winter, 16 ODOT snow plows have been struck by Ohio drivers, including one crash that happened Sunday on State Route 35 in Ross County.

"This was obviously a statewide storm. I honestly would expect I'll probably hear about some additional plow strikes that we just haven't been told about yet," ODOT spokesperson Matt Bruning said.

Another crash involving a plow near Cleveland was among the seven plows in total that have been struck just since the start of the new year.

"We had over 1,300 plows out, I think, around the peak across the entire state of Ohio, so this particular storm was a very busy one for us," Bruning said. "And obviously, the more plows that are out, the higher the chances you're going to get hit, unfortunately."

But the division is hoping to put a stop to these avoidable crashes, through a safety campaign, "Give Us Room to Work."

"These plows are very large trucks, fully loaded with salt. We're talking several, several tons," Bruning said. "Your passenger vehicle is not going to stand a chance. So, that is why we get this message out about, 'Give Us Room to Work.'

The campaign features pictures and videos of crashes involving ODOT plows as examples of what they're asking drivers not to do.

"'Give Us Room to Work,' it's as much about keeping our crews safe as it is about keeping you as a motorist safe because these don't stop on a dime, they don't turn on a time, and they are very, very heavy pieces of equipment," Bruning said.

As they do after any winter storm, Bruning said that in the coming days, ODOT will review how the equipment held up, and if it had enough people and resources to combat Monday's storm. He says the department will also review the materials used to determine if it was the right approach based on temperatures and conditions.

In the meantime, with the road conditions improving, their plows will continue to be hard at work.

"We've been able to push the snow off the main driving lanes in most cases," Bruning said. "Now it's about maybe opening up additional lanes on our multi-lane highways, it's about pushing that now further off the shoulder, to make sure when it does melt, it doesn't create a water situation on the roadway that could re-freeze."

To get the latest snow and ice information during a storm, and to get updates on the conditions in your area, you can head to ODOT's website.