NewsCut

Minnesotans keep hitting snowplows

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is running out of ways to get through to Minnesota drivers about how to drive in winter, and it's not as if the department isn't trying.

On Friday, another snowplow got hit, this time near Brandon, Minn., northwest of Alexandria.

The snowplow came out of it relatively OK.

plog
Minnesota Department of Transportation

The car, not so much.

car
Minnesota Department of Transportation.

This is the 73rd snowplow hit in the state this winter.

"The main causes of these crashes are motorists driving too fast for conditions, driving too close to the plow and distracted driving. For everyone’s safety, motorists need to be patient and stay back from the plow," Jeff Perkins, operations manager for MnDOT District 4 (west central Minnesota), said in a press release.

How far back? Ten car lengths.

Meanwhile, on I-35W:

Why are people driving so fast? For all the criticism of people driving too slowly during those first flurries of the season, they were at least paying attention and careful.

By now, we've got well used to it, have survived the storms so far, and are losing focus on driving carefully.