Leave plenty of space around snow plows

Regional snow plows and winter maintenance vehicles clear the snow and ice that accumulates on Regional roads by removing snow, sanding, salting and using salt brine to help prevent ice build-up on roads. 

Snow plows are the heavy-weight champions of winter road safety. Think twice before passing them and leave them plenty of space. 

Did you know?

As of September 2023, under the Highway Traffic Act, it is illegal to pass snow plows working in echelon formation (plows staggered across all lanes of a roadway) on multi-lane highways with a posted speed limit of 80 km/h or more if any part of the plow is in the driver’s passing lane? 

York Region snow plow operators receive training to do their job safely and efficiently. Clearing right and left turn lanes along their route is part of the snow plowing process which requires them to cross lanes. Please leave space to allow the operators to productively clear all lanes of the roadway. 
 
Here are some reasons to give them space: 

• Road conditions ahead of a plow are very different than behind it 
• Increasing your speed to pass a plow could cause loss of control 
• Blind spots mean that plow drivers cannot see vehicles behind the plow by 50 metres 
• Leaving plenty of space helps keep your windshield clear for better visibility 

For more tips on how to stay safe around snow plows and other large vehicles visit york.ca/LeaveSpace