Abby Nadeau
Community Editor

Snow plows and their drivers have it rough. They fight against rush hour traffic, drivers who are too close and above all, mother nature.

Their vision is restricted and the driver must depend on their mirrors to see the rear and to the side.

So in an effort to help the women and men in the big orange plows, here are a few tips for driving with a snowplow.

ï Keep car headlights on.

ï Turn off the cruise control.

ï Slow down, allow at least an eight-second interval between the vehicle and the snowplow.

ï Stay behind the snowplow.

The road behind the plow will be safer to drive on. Snowplows turn or exit frequently and often with little warning.

ï Never drive into a snow cloud.

ï Test the road surface frequently through the drive. Black ice is invisible and may be present in some areas, but not others.

Mike Tate, from Forest Lake's public works also asks drivers to yield to the snowplows.

"The driver isn't able to see everything a normal driver can see," Tate said.

Snowplow safety tips came from a number of sources including the city of Forest Lake, the Minnesota Safety Council and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

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