ODOT warns residents to not place snow from
private drives onto the highway
Practice is
hazardous, illegal
LIMA
(Tuesday,
Jan. 22, 2019) – ODOT is advising residents
living on state highways to not leave snow plowed from private driveways on the
highways.
“Placing snow from your driveway onto a
highway creates a hazard for motorists and it is against the law,” said Kirk
Slusher, Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 deputy director.
Ohio Revised Code 4511.74 prohibits the
placement of injurious material on a highway except that which is placed on the
roadway by a proper authority, such as the salt or other materials that ODOT
uses to treat icy roads.
Placing anything on the highway could be
dangerous to motorists in that they may hit these obstructions and lose control
of their vehicle. “If it is found that snow displaced from a private drive onto
a highway contributes to an accident, the individual who placed it there could
be found liable,” said Slusher.
ODOT advises snow from private drives be
pushed completely off the highway. It is recommended that residents place the
snow on the far side of their drives so that a passing ODOT plow will not throw
the snow back into the driveway, said Slusher.
In addition, the department recommends
individuals clear snow away from their mailboxes. “Moving snow to the far side
of the mailbox may reduce the likelihood that snow thrown from a passing plow
will cause damage,” said Slusher.
ODOT also reminds parents to keep their
children from playing in piles of snow which are close to the road.
The
Ohio Department of Transportation maintains the state's largest man-made asset
– the transportation system. ODOT's mission is to provide the safe and easy
movement of people and goods from place to place. As a $2.8 billion per year
enterprise, ODOT invests the bulk of its resources in system preservation
through maintenance, construction and snow and ice operations.
###