Soccolish, Susan A.

An often-overlooked aspect of winter maintenance operations is snowplow operators’ risk of a crash. The goal of this project was to examine key causes of collisions involving snowplows, identify defensive driving strategies snowplow operators can use to prevent crashes, and develop two comprehensive and engaging snowplow operator training modules on safe and defensive driving. Questionnaires, interviews, and crash data were used to develop the two modules to provide snowplow-specific information that operators can use to prevent crashes. The first module includes strategies the snowplow operator can use to prevent crashes caused by another vehicle. The second module focuses on general safe driving practices that the operator can use to prevent crashes often caused by the snowplow operator. Winter maintenance agencies can use the modules to help snowplow operators become better defensive drivers and avoid collisions with other vehicles and objects.

The objective of this project was to recommend cost-effective equipment solutions to mitigate fatigue experienced by winter maintenance operators. A questionnaire collected the opinions on the relationship between equipment and fatigue from 2,011 winter maintenance operators in 23 Clear Roads states. An analysis of the existing literature and questionnaire results produced eight cost-effective equipment solutions and eight non-equipment solutions to mitigate winter maintenance operator fatigue. These 16 solutions are believed to be the most promising to mitigate fatigue at low cost (in no particular order): (1) provide dimmable interior cab lighting, (2) use light emitting diode (LED) bulbs for exterior lighting, (3) equip winter maintenance vehicles with warning lights that have a nighttime setting (i.e., dimmable), (4) install a compact disc player or satellite radio in all winter maintenance vehicles, (5) equip winter maintenance vehicles with a heated windshield, (6) install snow deflectors on front plows, (7) install LED narrow-beam bulbs on auxiliary lighting, (8) use an ergonomically designed seat with vibration dampening/air-ride technology, (9) instruct winter maintenance operators to take a 15- to 30-minute break every 4 to 5 hours, (10) provide education and training to winter maintenance operators to identify early signs of fatigue, (11) investigate reduced shift lengths, start/end times, and overtime rules/limits, (12) create an agency-wide fatigue management policy, (13) investigate methods to provide early notifications of an impending swing shift, (14) encourage heathy lifestyles, (15) encourage winter maintenance operator input in equipment purchases, and (16) provide a dedicated place for winter maintenance operators to rest at each garage/terminal.