Be prepared for winter driving this season

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation would like to remind motorists to be prepared for winter driving and exercise extra safety cautions around snow removal vehicles.

Interstates and expressways are the primary focus during storms, meaning equipment may be redirected to those routes during significant winter events. As a result, motorists may find deeper accumulations on less-traveled routes and should adjust their driving accordingly.

PennDOT used regularly uses more than 450,000 tons of salt on state roads each winter. PennDOT has agreements with more than 680 municipalities to clear state roads within their jurisdictions. The department also rents trucks and operators to assist with snow removal, as needed.

If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roadways, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions.

Drivers also should take extra precautions when driving near operating snowplows, and follow these tips:

• Stay back: Stay at least six car-lengths behind an operating plow and remember that the main plow is wider than the truck — usually 11to 14-feet wide depending on the truck model. Wing plows, which are located on one or both sides of the truck, are generally 10 feet wide.

• Remain alert: Snowplows usually travel much more slowly than other traffic and may, at times, be completely obscured due to blowing snow or heavy snowfall rates. This is especially true in open areas where high winds can create zero visibility without warning.

If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roadways, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions.

Keep your lights on when driving near snowplows to help the operator better see your vehicle.

• Move over: Move as far away from the centerline of road as safely as possible when approaching a snowplow head-on and remember that snow spray can obscure the actual snowplow width.

• Never pass: Never try to pass or get between several trucks plowing side by side in a “plow train.” The weight of the snow thrown from the plow can quickly cause smaller vehicles to lose control, creating a hazard not only for the vehicle’s operator but also the snowplow driver and other vehicles.

• Don’t drive beside: Never travel next to a snowplow since plows can quickly move sideways when hitting drifts or cutting through heavy snowpack.

• Headlights on: Keep your lights on when driving near snowplows to help the operator better see your vehicle. Under state law, headlights must be turned on every time a vehicle’s wipers are on due to inclement weather.

Motorists can check road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of state roads by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 670 traffic cameras. 511PA also provides easy-to-use, colorcoded winter road conditions for all interstates and other routes covered in the 511 reporting network. Access to 511PA is also available by calling 511. Regional Twitter alerts are also available on the 511PA website.

PennDOT reminds motorists to pack an emergency kit for their vehicles to include nonperishable food, water, first aid supplies, a blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. Consider adding such items as baby supplies, extra medication, pet supplies, or even children’s games.