ODOT reports seeing rise in number of plows being hit

The Ohio Department of Transportation says they have seen an increase in the number of snow plow trucks that have been hit.

“It doesn’t matter who you talk to, you can find any of our highway technicians, they will have either a story about being hit or nearly being hit,” Matt Bruning, an ODOT spokesperson, told our news partners at 10TV in Columbus.

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ODOT’s season beings in November and since then, Bruning said they have seen a rise. So far this winter ODOT reported having 35 plows hit across the state.

“That compares to 46 for all of last winter,” Bruning said.

Bruning told 10TV that the increase in plows hit impacts the department due to the shortage of drivers. He said it also impacts the equipment the drivers have to drive.

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“So when you think about it in terms of the snowplow trucks for example, you know if someone has a snowplow truck and take that truck out of service, that just means all of the other trucks on the nearby routes are going to have to extend their routes to cover the effected route,” Bruning said.

ODOT recommends that drivers who come near a snow plow truck, or any emergency vehicle on the roadways, slow down and move over.

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