By Bryan Eneas

Legislation changes coming to address snowplow confusion

Mar 30, 2018 | 12:19 PM

Laws surrounding passing snowplows and winter maintenance crews surfaced from residents at a recent RCMP town hall in Big River.

Their confusions, however, may soon be addressed, according to Doug Wakabayashi from the ministry of highways, who said there are a number of amendments to the traffic safety act currently before the legislative assembly. 

“When they’re passed it will change the laws so it’s pretty much the same as it is for [emergency vehicles],” Wakabayashi said but was unable to provide a timeline as to when the proposed changes could be implemented.

He said the reforms are looking to mandate that when a plow is pulled over and stopped with its blue and amber lights flashing, drivers will have to slow to 60 kilometres an hour.  The blue lights were added in late 2015 to increase the visibility of plows, graders and snow blowers operated by the ministry. The blue lights are to be used when conducting regular winter maintenance activities, according to a government press release, which can include things like clearing, salting, sanding, and scouting highways. These operations are used to determine updates to the provinces’ Highway Hotline.

Amber lights also tend to cause confusion, which Wakabayashi explained comes down to vehicle width.

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“When we mount the plows to our vehicles, they’re over-width, so they have to have the flashing amber light on at all times, whether they’re plowing or salting, or going to wash the salt off of their truck,” he said.

The ministry’s website stresses the need to slow down and give snowplows space on the roads. Operators are supposed to pull over roughly every 10 kilometres, or when it’s safe to do so, to allow drivers to pass.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas