ROADSIDE CHAT – ORANGE CRUSH - GOOD SODA/BAD MESS, GIVE PLOWS ROOM
When winter blankets our roads with snow and ice, Iowa DOT snowplows are critical allies in helping restore safe travel conditions. However, your relationship with these snowfighters can be a mix of appreciation and frustration. While you may value their efforts to clear our roads, it’s easy to lose the patience needed for these slow-moving vehicles to complete their work.
Rushing to pass a plow, driving into its operational space, or staying in its blind spots can quickly become a recipe for an orange crush – and not the tasty beverage type.
To perform their work properly, snowplows typically travel 5 to 35 mph. Despite their signature combination of amber, white, and blue lights, they are often hit from behind by drivers who approach them too fast and are unable to get stopped in time.
Interactions between motorists and snowplows can lead to hazardous situations. This winter season alone, we’ve had a total of nine DOT snowplows hit by vehicles and several other close calls.
Snowplows are large, heavy vehicles, often weighing over 48,000 pounds – approximately 15 times more than the average passenger car. This significant size and weight difference means that in the event of a hit, the smaller vehicle will likely come out with much more damage and the chances of injury for the people inside are high.
To avoid a crash with a snowplow, follow these DOT tips for sharing the road this winter.
In 2025 in Iowa, 11 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of four since last Friday. In Iowa in 2024, there were 352 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf