# Are you visible while snow blowing?



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

While snow blowing the EOD, I have had many close calls with vehicles. I now wear reflective clothing similar to this. I also have refelctive tape on the machine . When I have time , I will be adding led running lights to the machine.


----------



## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

Ditto. Never too much visibility near the street and around town. I wear the same and have reflective tape everywhere its practical. My truck is usually at the street where I unload with an amber strobe light on the roof and 4 ways on. Ive been doing commercial for many years now and like you I have had some close calls. Can be down right scary out there.
Ive been looking at ways to add strobes on the blower but have not found a way that it would work without shining in my face.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

When you get the LED lights, get the strobe type, their easier to see. I have a couple extra 12V feeds, I'm going to put the strobe LEDs on the sides.

My wife bought me solid white pants and jacket to do the EOD for Christmas. Should be OK right?


----------



## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Yep. I live on a blind curve not far from town barns and the snowplows are back and forth past my house constantly. Gotta be seen.


----------



## topher5150 (Nov 5, 2014)

moving to a house on a busy street has defiantly got me thinking about getting something like this especially when get the snoblower going on the tractor I'm thinking about getting some strobe lights for it.


----------



## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

Our road is rural so the cars are usually going by "fast" and while blowing about a week ago I was reminded of the risk.


I was about half-way down the main run of our driveway so I was still over 100 yrd's from the road when I saw a SUV start to slide and end up going into the ditch almost right across from the end of our driveway. That's been my biggest concern while down there, someone losing control and taking me out so I always stop and watch as cars pass by.


What I wear when down there is one of those yellow, mesh, vests with reflective stripes, the same style our youngest son wears while working as an Electrical Lineman, although his is FR (Fire Resistant.) They are lightweight, easy to put on and take off over my snow blowing coat and costs under $10. On top of that they dry off fast........


I have a couple and prefer the type with the zipper, as opposed to Velcro, which tends to stick to the mesh of the vest when putting it on.


https://www.jharlen.com/p-11752-class-2-safety-vest-zip-front.aspx


----------



## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I wear a powerful LED headlamp with a flashing red light on the back.

Similar to this one.

https://www.banggood.com/5000Lm-CRE...h-p-913144.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN


----------



## Money_man (Feb 16, 2015)

I wear my black jacket. So that goes against the white snow and then the fact my machine has a light and throws snow 40ft in the air may make people notice me


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

This is very sad.

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU — A 25-year-old Kingsley man was killed while snowblowing his driveway Wednesday evening. 

It happened around 5:40 p.m. on Voice Road between Garfield and Summit Road. 

According to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department, a 29-year-old Maple City woman lost control of her car and left the road. She hit the man, dragging him into a ditch.


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

Please think safety when you're out in the snow. Between slippery roadways and blinding snow, anything you do near traffic has the potential to be hazardous.

Yesterday evening in Topsfield, 59-year-old Edgar Rhodes was struck by a truck as he was snowblowing the end of his driveway. He was killed instantly.
The trucks driver was treated at the scene and a passenger was not injured.

Out of this tragic story comes a wake-up call. Situational awareness. Whether you're clearing your driveway after a storm or walking along the road, always be mindful of where you are in relationship to traffic. It's much harder to stop or even have control in a vehicle when the streets are icy. Don't assume you're safe just because you're not in a travel lane. It only takes a fraction of a second for an otherwise good day to turn deadly.


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

PROSPECT, CT (WFSB) -
An elderly woman from Prospect, who was killed in a hit-and-run during Blizzard Charlotte on Friday has been identified as Mary McCormack.

According to Connecticut State Police, the 79-year-old woman was snow blowing her driveway when she was hit on Straitsville Road.

As of Monday morning, police had not located the driver of the vehicle.


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

There are many more. One is too many !!!! Always be aware of your surroundings. Don't assume they see you. Get the job done safely and return to the safety of your home. That is my goal.


----------



## KOBO (Jul 15, 2017)

FWIW, I wear a bright orange vest and place 2 1/2 foot tall road cones wrapped with reflective tape *in the road* at the end of the driveway, it helps slow them down, but I still worry about some dolt texting or whatever and not watching the road.

My next planned upgrade is a strobe like light for on top of the road cones.

K


----------



## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

russ01915 said:


> There are many more. One is too many !!!! Always be aware of your surroundings. Don't assume they see you. Get the job done safely and return to the safety of your home. That is my goal.


I have something called a halo that blinks orange like the plow trucks has 5 alternating patterns to choose from
super bright at night it has a magnet on it i put it on the pull start to be seen from the rear
i love the thing


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

It was stated well in a few posts back ... At Amtrak we were drilled in the same manner, Situational Awareness. This falls into everyday life, no matter what you are doing, always being aware of your surroundings and taking the necessary precautions to protect life and limb. Snow, slippery roads, high snow banks, drifts, etc.. etc, ... I myself always were reflective clothing, blinking red LED arm bands, (like for biking) and look all around before getting anywhere near the road ... cars kill ....


----------



## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

my rear light


----------



## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

That's a county right next to mine, and the lady who hit him is from my county...:sad2:

I've had two close calls, with one being waaaay too close – an SUV came up from behind me and by the time I saw and heard it, it was swerving right past me, then onto the other side of the road and almost lost it. It kept going and never stopped or turned around.

I'm at the top of a small hill, on a 5 mile gravel road that is used as a by-pass for a lot of people...they just fly.



russ01915 said:


> This is very sad.
> 
> GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU — A 25-year-old Kingsley man was killed while snowblowing his driveway Wednesday evening.
> 
> ...


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I also use these. You can choose from 3 settings.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

i have done everything suggested in the previous posts. Nothing works 100% of the time and it's almost impossible to be aware 100% of the time.

I was a truck driver for over 30 years and had several close calls on the side of the highway trying to put my chains on. a couple times i had to dive under the trailer to avoid a 4 wheeler flying too close by.

One of the safest drivers i had the pleasure to work with gave me the best advice on how to be safer and that was to park so the rear end of the trailer was slightly sticking out so that you had the trailer between you and the oncoming traffic.

not 100% foolproof but close. I use the same principle with my driveway. before doing the EOD , i will park my toyota truck on the side of the road up traffic before i do it. if someone starts sliding or comes too close they will hit the truck. it is between me and the EOD.

some people seem annoyed since drivers have to slightly move over. and once in awhile ( rarely ) do I have to move it for the plow as usually they have already come down and i am doing the berm. i don't care if people get annoyed. I am mostly safe doing it this way.

With the noise of the blower and the operator trying to focus on the work at hand , it is not safe being distracted by traffic going by. My truck slightly in the way gives me more peace of mind while blowing. I don't feel it is a hazard to other drivers. It makes them more aware and forces them to slow the **** down.


----------



## knu2xs (Jan 6, 2015)

orangputeh said:


> i have done everything suggested in the previous posts. Nothing works 100% of the time and it's almost impossible to be aware 100% of the time.


 
So true! When Ian, our youngest, was an Apprentice Electrical Lineman one of his duties was putting the safety cones out behind his truck when parked along the road. He always put out more than the "norm" and took some ribbing from The Journeymen who called him "Cone Boy." Ian said he didn't care, he saw what kind of drivers were out there.


One day he put out his extra cones and was glad he did. He was still living here at the time and when he got home that day I asked how his day went and he pulled out his phone to show me some photos of a car smashed into the back of a bucket truck.


He said he was getting something off of the back of the truck when he heard, whump, whump, whump and without looking jumped up into the back of the truck just before the car hit it. He said that as he jumped up there his body turned so he could see the car coming and there was a woman driving it holding up her phone and looking at it. She didn't even know what was going on until she hit the truck............


He did receive some minor injuries that day and was taken to the Hospital to get checked over and as time went on not only did those Journeymen quit calling him "Cone Boy," they made sure that he put out extra cones when they set up. He's a Journeyman now, working in Southern California and I'm sure he's still putting out those "extra cones."


----------



## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* My question is WHY is a 79 year old women running a snowblower. I would never of let my mother do that!!! if I had a neighbor of that age doing it. I would just do there drive for them.*


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

Why not? Not everybody ages the same. My neighbor still gardens at the age of 92. She enjoys it and looks forward to it. The question should be is why are there so many people driving negligently, impaired or distracted?


----------



## Money_man (Feb 16, 2015)

Because of this thread I may get reflective tape for the sides of my auger housing.


----------



## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

Got to laugh. Good one.

Maybe she watched _"A Shock to the System"_ with Michael Caine and got the idea.

Good review by Roger Ebert: https://tinyurl.com/y9mk6j5m



jsup said:


> ...My wife bought me solid white pants and jacket to do the EOD for Christmas. Should be OK right?


----------



## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

Aervoe LED flares great. They can be put on the road or on top of the snow. They have a magnet that can allow it to be put on the machine.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> * My question is WHY is a 79 year old women running a snowblower. I would never of let my mother do that!!! if I had a neighbor of that age doing it. I would just do there drive for them.*


i was thinking the exact same thing. my mother would slap the side of my head if i didn't go over and help or just do it.


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Money_man said:


> Because of this thread I may get reflective tape for the sides of my auger housing.


Good thread, I'm going to order my strobes form Amazon today because of it. I was going to wait until it warmed up but it's not a big deal, so I'll do it now.


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

3M Scotchlite Silver Reflective tape. On the handle bars and on the side of the bucket. Available at most hardware or autoparts store.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Good thread! Mine has a light, and I try to pay attention for cars when I'm clearing in the street. But you can't be "too careful" given what's at stake. Making yourself show up better is a good idea. And yeah, you need to watch for the cars as well, someone could see you, but still slide into you. 

Adding strobes or reflectors is interesting. If you wanted to do it non-permanently (maybe you're expecting to sell the machine, etc), you could maybe get some of that flexible magnet material (like for the inexpensive fridge magnets), and put the reflective tape on that. Then stick the reflective magnets to the sides of the bucket. 

This is the type of stuff I'm thinking of: 
https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Flexible-Adhesive-Project-Schools/dp/B0197ZZ27Y/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8


----------



## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

I converted my machine to an LED Headlight and added *"BLUE"* Strobe LEDs to the Sides and plain *BLUE* LEDs facing fore and aft . . . . *BLUE* because I think that color triggers a more immediate response from Drivers (like waking them up out of a slumber) these days than any other color.

And going off to the sides, the strobe doesn't bother my own eyes.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Good thinking. There are a lot more red lights on the road (brake lights) than blue lights. The blue probably catches the eye better.


----------



## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

After I did this, someone told me that it's illegal in some jurisdictions to display* BLUE* lights because they're reserved for the Police and related emergency vehicles . . . . but I don't see that as an issue in Vermont. I want to startle them, just as if it's a speed trap !


----------



## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Vermont007 said:


> After I did this, someone told me that it's illegal in some jurisdictions to display* BLUE* lights because they're reserved for the Police and related emergency vehicles . . . . but I don't see that as an issue in Vermont. I want to startle them, just as if it's a speed trap !


In some states blue or red is not legal, amber is always legal, as it has no special designation. Seeing some green now too.


----------



## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

*Where*



russ01915 said:


> While snow blowing the EOD, I have had many close calls with vehicles. I now wear reflective clothing similar to this. I also have refelctive tape on the machine . When I have time , I will be adding led running lights to the machine.


Where does one find such an ensemble? My 1982 snow pants and 1978 parka are getting on in years. I'm 95% in my property but this looks like a smart choice.


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

I have a Tingley fleece lined jacket as shown. There are many other brands available at reasonable prices. Just google reflective clothing, HIGH VISIBILITY jackets. They also have vests very cheap $7.00. Amazon has a ton of reflective clothing.


----------

