Wyoming transportation officials are expressing concern about the frequency with which motor vehicles are striking snowplows operating on the state’s roadways during winter weather events, a pattern that is creating both significant equipment damage and safety risks for the snowplow operators who are working in some of the most dangerous driving conditions imaginable. The incidents typically involve drivers following too close or failing to account for the different speed and operational characteristics of snowplows before making overtaking maneuvers that leave insufficient margin for safe clearance. Snowplow operators are among the most vulnerable workers on public roads during winter weather.
Transportation departments across snowbelt states have been running public awareness campaigns about snowplow safety for years, with most featuring the core messages of maintaining extended following distance and never passing a snowplow that is actively clearing a lane. Wyoming’s particular situation reflects the combination of high winds, limited visibility, and remote roads that characterize winter driving conditions in the state, where the already-challenging snowplow safety situation is amplified by environmental factors that are more extreme than in most other states. The department has been reviewing whether additional signage, enhanced visibility equipment on plows, or law enforcement initiatives might reduce the collision rate.
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