OLATHE, Kan. — Kansas Department of Transportation crews, which have worked nonstop since a winter storm moved into the area Friday, rely on snow plows to help clear the roads.
The massive plows, which also often carry salt or sand to spread on roads, aren't the most nimble or fast vehicles on the road, but other drivers need to calm down and let them do their jobs.
Five snow plows, which represents ten10 percent of KDOT's fleet in the Kansas City area, were wrecked and out out of commission Friday by aggressive or distracted drivers, according to KDOT.
"It's really bad. When one of our trucks go down, they sit idle for hours and if they are not out there working, plowing, pushing snow off the roads, it just takes us that much longer to get it removed," KDOT Maintenance Superintendent Drake Jennings said.
Such accidents not only damage plow trucks, but they also scare drivers.
"It's rough on them, but they know they have a job to do," Jennings said. "They are dedicated and they get right back in the truck and keep right on going."
One Kansas City resident has advice for people who try to drive around plows as they work.
"Stay back. Just stay way back," Cortez Brown said. "Like it says on the back of their trucks, 'Stay back 200 feet.' Stay back like 500 feet."
KDOT agrees.
"Just slow down, give us room," Jennings said. "You'll get to your destination. You've just got to give us room, give us time to work."
