Reminder: Give Snow Plows Room

Here’s something to keep in mind while driving this winter: Do not follow that snow plow too closely.

It comes down to physics and performance.

A plow truck weighs around 26,300 pounds unloaded, while the average vehicle weighs about 4,000 pounds.

The operator is trying to keep all that weight under control in slippery conditions while pushing snow with a plow in front and maybe a wing plow on the side.

That’s a lot of force exerting from different directions to keep under control.

One reason to keep a distance behind snow-and-ice treatment trucks is this: beet juice and brine.

The beet juice helps brine stick to pavement so the brine can melt ice or prevent it from forming, especially on elevated or exposed areas prone to freezing.

The beet-brine mix also can spray back on vehicles.

If a truck goes much over 30 mph when dropping salt, much of it can bounce off the roadway.