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Share the Road With Snow Plow Operators

Winter has officially arrived in Oxford County and this means you will start seeing more and more snow plows keeping our roads safe.

OXFORD COUNTY - Winter has officially arrived in Oxford County and this means you will start seeing more and more snow plows keeping our roads safe.

Public Works crews are reminding the public to slow down and give operators space to work. County crews clear snow on 57 different roads, spanning about 1,185 lane kilometres. Stretched out, those lanes would be about the distance from Woodstock to Quebec City, or a 10-hour trip at 80 km/hr.

Snow plows typically travel below the posted speed limit, which is needed for them to properly clear the roads and apply salt or anti-icing liquid. Crowding or tailgating a plow is extremely dangerous, yet it happens all the time.  A fully loaded plow truck cannot manoeuvre easily or stop quickly and it has many blind spots. 

It is never a good idea to pass a snow plow, as you don't know what the road conditions are like ahead of you. Your best bet is to leave 10 car lengths between you and the plow. 

Other winter driving safety tips include:

- Turn on your headlights and tail lights, even during the day.
- Use winter-rated snow tires with the mountain-snowflake symbol.
- Pull as far over to the right as is safe when you see a snow plow approaching from the opposite direction.
- Adjust your speed for road conditions and schedule extra time for winter travel.
- Assume that bridges are slippery since they freeze more quickly than road surfaces.
- Keep your fuel tank at least half full to help reduce moisture in the fuel system and add weight to the vehicle.
- Keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle, including a blanket, extra warm clothing, a flashlight, shovel, non-perishable food, and water.

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