Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/593532
ANALYZE THIS 44 G O I N G P L A C E S | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 istock All Clear? How to share the road with snowplows by Angèle Young A t 11 p.m. on a cold winter night, many Manitobans are already in bed. Bundled up in f lannel sheets and fleece pajamas, some may even don socks and add an extra blanket thanks to yet another winter storm that has left an inner chill from head to toe. For Corbin Kubic, the day is just getting star ted. Sur prisingly though, the frigid temperatures and 12-hour shifts through the night aren't what snowplow operators dread about the job. Rather, it's the too- frequent encounters with irritated motorists, which can reduce the efficiency of snow-clear- ing operations or, worse yet, cause a collision. "I have at least one close call every time I go out to clear the streets," says Kubic. "Drivers get impatient and try to pass me, but I can't see them." According to The Highway Traffic Act, it is not illegal to pass a snowplow, though Sergeant Bert Paquet of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police says motorists should be extremely cautious and courteous around these pieces of heavy machinery, especially consider ing that they usually work in less than ideal road conditions and under poor visibility. CAA Manitoba is proud to partner with various community organizations to advocate for safer roads on behalf of our members. "These drivers are working to clear our streets and highways of snow and ice, so we can all travel safely," says Paquet. "While it is legal to pass a snowplow, passing unsafely or with disregard for the safety of plow operators and others on the road can result in a fine." Though we may crown ourselves as the winter capital of North America (hence our capital's moniker, Winterpeg), we aren't alone in our battle against snow, nor are we the only ones dealing with the issue of motorists failing to yield the right of way to plows. Many transportation departments in the northern U.S. states have coined the slogan "Don't