Children & Snow Removal
Children Playing in Snow in the Right of Way
Children are fascinated by heavy equipment; however, they do not understand the power generated by the equipment or the damage the equipment can cause. When a snowplow or snowblower comes down the street, children are drawn to the street to watch. What they don't realize is if they get too close they could be injured. Snow being moved from the street to the right of way could easily bury them or knock them over.
As winter progresses and snow banks build, it often becomes necessary to move the snow in the right of way. While this is normally not a hazard, it can be potentially deadly. If you allow your children to play or tunnel in the snow banks near the roadway and the children are hidden when the plow or blower comes by, the results could be tragic.
A Near Miss
Many years ago a Street Department employee was widening a street with the snowblower and was overcome with an urge to stop. He stopped and got out to look around. What he found was absolutely frightening. Two children were playing out of sight inside a snow cave they had built in the right of way. Had he kept going, both children would not be here today. This employee is long retired but still recalls the event. We started a new policy from that time forward, that before we widen streets we send a spotter with the blower to look for possible problems in the right of way. However, we still cannot see every possible problem. This year we uncovered a snow cave, and the site of it and the possibilities of what could have been made us sick to think about. Please tell your neighbors and friends not to allow your children to play in the snow in the right of way.
