Nearly two dozen MDT plows have collided with rigs this year

A whopping 23 vehicles have collided this winter with Montana Department of Transportation snowplows. One accident last week in the Bad Rock Canyon resulted in a vehicle hitting a plow head-on after it lost control on the icey highway.

The plow driver saw the sliding vehicle coming, got over as far as it could and hit the brakes. “That very well could have been a fatal,” said Brandi Hamilton of the maintenance division of the MDT.

Fortunately, there were no life threatening injuries in the crash, though the Suburban that hit the plow was totaled.

Hamilton said car-plow collisions are all too common in Montana. Last year, 30 plows had collisions with vehicles. On Monday alone, there were three collisions.

To her knowledge, Hamilton said none of the plow-vehicle collisions have been the fault of the plow driver. Collisions are typically due to drivers not paying attention, driving too fast, or trying to pass a plow. In one recent wreck, a van was impaled on a plow.

Snowplows aren’t cheap. The state fabricates its own fleet and each plow costs about $150,000 fully assembled. The state has 550 plows in its fleet.

MDT recommends that drivers stay at least five car lengths from the back of the plow.

Plows throw up a lot of snow and debris.

“If you can’t see, you need to go slowly,” Hamilton said.

In short, don’t crowd the plow, she said.