LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — For Jill Bruss, it's been three years of driving snow plows after winter storms.
"I don’t like getting out in the snow and driving my small vehicle, but I’ll get out and I’ll drive a big 'ole truck," Bruss said.
Bruss is a supplemental snow plow driver and area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation. She says driving a snow plow can be dangerous.
“There’s been the potential of at least five to 10 times with somebody coming very close when I’m plowing the shoulder," Bruss said. "I would say 20 to 30 vehicles pass in that first lane next to me when I’m taking the shoulder in that lane. I have semi's blowing by me, going 60 miles per hour inches from me at least 10 to 20 times.”
Following too close likely caused an accident Tuesday involving a snow plow.
The snow plow accident is why Bruss is urging drivers to not pass, especially when multiple trucks working together.
“So there is a purpose to it," she said. "The first truck is throwing snow to the second truck; the second truck is throwing it to the third. We are throwing it all the way from the barrier wall to the shoulder in one pass. That saves a lot of time and gets that road opened up quicker."
Buss warns drivers they put themselves in danger when they try to pass a snowplow.
“Sometimes during the snow, we're pushing about two feet of snow over to me, so if you try to pass through it, you’re jumping through the deep snow that’s being thrown over to me," Bruss said. "Even if it's a lesser snow and you only had a little bit, you’re throwing stuff off that barrier wall. It could have nails, debris — all kinds of stuff in that. Now I have to drop back off of my truck in front of me, and I can’t do my job correctly because now I’m not catching all that that he is throwing to me because you’ve crowded in between us.”
Accidents also take plows out of service, and that means roads not getting cleared because trucks need repairs.
“Give them room, back off, let the snow get cleared and then come through,” Bruss said.
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