Fark everything, we're doing five blades!

It looks like yet another "now why didn't I think of that" improvement to an existing system. I can see where it would be quite useful on the interstates or other multi-lane roads. While it wouldn't work in the city or on rural secondary roads, deploying it on the larger roads would free up other drivers/trucks to do the other roads.

All in all it looks like a good idea. Hopefully the guy who had the brainstorm was able to patent it before telling others about it....

Bad omen for Free State winter.

What's that name again?

/That name again is Mr. Plow.

Burn_The_Plows: That abomination should be set ablaze.

LOL

Recoil Therapy: It looks like yet another "now why didn't I think of that" improvement to an existing system. I can see where it would be quite useful on the interstates or other multi-lane roads. While it wouldn't work in the city or on rural secondary roads, deploying it on the larger roads would free up other drivers/trucks to do the other roads.

All in all it looks like a good idea. Hopefully the guy who had the brainstorm was able to patent it before telling others about it....

Yeah, I want to get stuck behind that monstrosity.

newtekie1:
And being stuck behind the blow that would take its place would be better how?

You see that picture I posted? You see how 3 of the four lanes are already clear? You see how much traffic there is stopped up behind it? You know how you can see all that?

Because there's not always a blow. Also, snow can be in one lane while the adjacent lane is clear.

Traffic can flow regularly in cleared lanes during a snowfall because plows are one lane wide. Usually they only clear the left lane once the snow has stopped, then they do the whole highway in that staggered configuration you see up there. That's not a problem if you do it during non-peak hours and for short stretches of road. But there's nothing more annoying when they set it up like that during a peak travel period and go for about 50 miles at a time just so they can get that last foot of snow from the left side guardrail.

When one plow can impede three lanes as you see above, that's a recipe for it happening all the time.

Babwa Wawa:

[img412.imageshack.us image 640x480]

Seeing that trailer/plow thing kinda sideways makes me think I see a movie out of this, starring Vin Diesel, about a snow plow driver who likes underground drift-racing... I call it "Fast & Furious: Snow Drift".

MODOT has had one of these in the STL area for a few years now; it's actually based out of the highway depot I drive past on my way to work every day.

It works surprisingly well and is pretty well confined to rather wide interstates. To the douchenozzles worried about getting stuck behind one, they only use it when there's a huge snowstorm going on. It means they can clear more lanes with fewer trucks, freeing up those other trucks (that would otherwise be going one per lane in a plow gang) to concentrate on other arterial roads. It has just not been a problem with hitting things... it really only comes out in the plow gang situations anyway, so the nay-sayers hiding behind safety concerns can STFU.

If you're the sort to pass the snow plows in a heavy snowstorm, get the fark off the road and stay home; you're too dangerous to be out there. Getting "stuck" behind a snowplow is part of living in a place that sees winter. Move to SoCal or Texas if it bothers you that much. Otherwise, slow down, take it easy, and let the plows do their work so it's safer for everybody.

jakrabit: Came for mr plow and plow king reference.

/i am disappoint

A Mr. Plow reference was the fourth comment in the thread! What the hell more do you want?

akula: MODOT has had one of these in the STL area for a few years now; it's actually based out of the highway depot I drive past on my way to work every day.

It works surprisingly well and is pretty well confined to rather wide interstates. To the douchenozzles worried about getting stuck behind one, they only use it when there's a huge snowstorm going on. It means they can clear more lanes with fewer trucks, freeing up those other trucks (that would otherwise be going one per lane in a plow gang) to concentrate on other arterial roads. It has just not been a problem with hitting things... it really only comes out in the plow gang situations anyway, so the nay-sayers hiding behind safety concerns can STFU.

If you're the sort to pass the snow plows in a heavy snowstorm, get the fark off the road and stay home; you're too dangerous to be out there. Getting "stuck" behind a snowplow is part of living in a place that sees winter. Move to SoCal or Texas if it bothers you that much. Otherwise, slow down, take it easy, and let the plows do their work so it's safer for everybody.

Enemabag Jones: I don't know what you call a heavy snowstorm. I have a simple front wheel drive car where I know I need to be able to decelerate as much as I accelerate, and often pass snowplows. I have not *yet* found myself in a median.

Snowplows don't move that fast, it isn't hard to pass them. But even in a 4x4 with dedicated winter tires, I prefer to drive on plowed roads and stay the hell back behind them.

On Massachusetts highways you have the scraping of the wet roadway while throwing chunks of salt at nearby cars, which is best passed as quickly as possible; and the moving of inches of snow to the side, which is best followed at a safe distance.

Enemabag Jones: akula,Snowplows don't move that fast, it isn't hard to pass them. But even in a 4x4 with dedicated winter tires, I prefer to drive on plowed roads and stay the hell back behind them.

Funny part about that, how many 4x4's does one see in the ditch.

16?

Enemabag Jones: akula,Snowplows don't move that fast, it isn't hard to pass them. But even in a 4x4 with dedicated winter tires, I prefer to drive on plowed roads and stay the hell back behind them.

Funny part about that, how many 4x4's does one see in the ditch.

There's no shortage of people who think four driven wheels excuse them from the laws of physics and ignore the role quality tires can play as well as the need to still drive cautiously. I've seen vehicles of ALL kinds "in the ditch" or otherwise struggling for various reasons- poor tire choice, driving on worn tires, and general driver incompetence. For a FWD driver to claim their vehicle is superior to an AWD vehicle in snow is just stupid... it's only superior if the other parts of the puzzle are competent. For the record, I'll put my Grand Cherokee/Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 combo up against anything else in any winter weather condition. It is always clearly superior to a FWD vehicle? No, but IMO, it stacks the deck as much as possible in my favor.

The simple fact is that a few inches of snow is NOT easy to drive in, and even with the best possible set of equipment and skill, you still have to exercise caution. Passing the plow truck is not generally considered cautious or prudent by most people. It might not bite you in the ass, but I'd just as soon that kind of driver hurry up and get off the road one way or the other before they hurt somebody else.

Of course, the real fun isn't when it's snow. It's when it's freezing rain or sheet ice, which here in the STL area, we get about as often as actual snow. It was amusing to watch the salt truck slide backwards down our street last winter. That was moments after we had gotten home without a single problem (the Continental WinterExtremeContact tire kicks ass... we had zero issues with traction).

We've had these for years in Utah.... Failmitter