PennDOT’s District 5 Urges Motorists to Be Safe During Winter Storm

With widespread winter weather predicted to impact east-central Pennsylvania, PennDOT’s Engineering District 5 reminds motorists to be mindful that when snow is falling, they must adjust their driving to remain safe.

Weather reports are predicting the heaviest snowfalls to occur tomorrow during the morning rush hour, so motorists should expect delays during that time.

District 5 has 336 on-the-road workers, and all are ready to keep state roads passable during this storm, said PennDOT Assistant District Executive for Maintenance Jill Krause. “We’ll have crews operating our 209 plow trucks around the clock, if necessary. But motorists must also do their part by limiting trips and driving according to conditions.

PennDOT encourages drivers to do their part by following some simple guidelines:

Monitor weather forecasts and postpone travel if necessary, especially over long distances during the storm.
Slow down while driving when snow is falling and always wear your seat belt.
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicles you are following.
During squalls or whiteouts, do not stop on the roadway. Come to a complete stop only when you can safely get as far off the road as possible or when there is a safe area to do so.
When encountering plows, stay at least six car lengths behind an operating plow truck and remember that the main plow is wider than the truck.
When a plow is approaching you, move as far from the center of the road as is safely possible and remember that snow can obscure the actual snow plow width.

In some instances, to enhance safety, PennDOT may temporarily reduce speed limits on expressways and interstates.

During a storm, PennDOT's primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow.

PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until precipitation stops and roads are clear. Also, higher volume roads take priority.