Snow Safety Tips For Nassau County Residents

With snow expected to hit Long Island on Thursday night into Friday morning, Nassau County residents are reminded of some safety tips to help prepare for the snow and ice.

A total of 1-2 inches is expected on the island, but there is the potential for up to 4 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

The Nassau County Department of Public Works (DPW) have begun pretreating roadways with brine to prevent black ice from forming over the next 24 hours as light snow enters the region.

“Nassau County is helping ensure residents have a safe commute by brining main County roadways, bridges and overpasses to prevent black ice,” County Executive Edward Mangano.

The Department of Public Works has 23,700 tons of road salt and 2,370 tons of road sand on hand as well as a fleet of 115 plow/salt trucks, 20 pick-ups with plows and sanders, 10 payloaders and 3 brine trucks that cover 2,000 lane miles throughout Nassau.

With the assistance of GPS, DPW supervisors monitor snowplows to determine when plows are down and where trucks are operating in order to ensure we are working at full capacity to make the roads safer for our residents as quickly and efficiently as possible, while also safeguarding the safety of our snowfighting crew.

Residents are encouraged to begin preparing for the cold, snow and ice.

To help ensure a safe winter season, check out some safety tips provided by Nassau County officials:

Property Owners:

1. Do not plow snow across the road or shovel snow from your driveway onto shoulders or roadways.
2. Do not pile snow high near intersections or driveways obstructing others’ vision; Park vehicles away from the road and follow local parking ordinances related to snow removal.
3. Keep rocks, timbers, fences, basketball hoops, garbage bins, reflectors and other items away from the road.
4. Keep areas around mailboxes clear in order to assist in safe mail delivery and to help prevent damage to mailboxes.
5. Maintaining the end of your driveway could decrease chances of getting plowed in, or having your mailbox damaged.
6. Keep sidewalks and pathways clear for pedestrians.

Children:

1. Never build snow forts, make tunnels, or play in ditches or snow banks by the road.
2. Stay away from the edge of the roadway as you wait for the school bus, get the mail, or watch the snow plow.
3. Stay away from the end of a driveway when a snow plow is approaching.
4. Keep sleds and toys away from the roadways at all times.
5. Remember, the plow driver can’t always see you.

Drivers:

Drivers should use extra precautions on the roads this winter season, especially when driving near trucks that are plowing and salting.

1. Always wear your seatbelt and allow extra time to reach your destination.
2. Do your best to minimize distractions so your focus can be on driving.
3. Don’t attempt to pass a snow plow vehicle while they are plowing.
4. NEVER attempt to pass a snow plow on the right. Many plows are equipped with wings that weigh as much as a small compact car.
5. Plows can suddenly move sideways from hitting drifts or by cutting through packed snow.
6. Plow drivers have limited visibility and they cannot see directly behind their trucks.
7. Avoid sudden starts, stops and turns. Accelerate carefully so car wheels don't spin.
8. Improve visibility by clearing all snow and ice from the entire car – hood, roof, trunk, turn signals, tail lights, headlights, windows, mirrors and fender wells.
9. Driving with headlights on low-beam provides better road illumination in snow and fog than using high-beams.