SALT LAKE CITY — Utah drivers who pass snowplows doing their job may soon get more than a dirty look and a few choice words.
Under a new bill introduced ahead of the upcoming 2023 Utah legislative session, those who pass a snowplow while the blade is deployed could be ticketed for the violation.
There is currently no law stopping Utah drivers from passing a snowplow, which can be dangerous for everyone on the roads. In recent years, dozens of Utah Department of Transportation snowplows were hit by vehicles attempting to pass.
The bill would prohibit vehicles from passing working snowplows no matter the side, and also stop drivers from passing two more snowplows driving in the echelon formation. According to wording in the bill, echelon formation is "the operation of two or more snowplows arranged side-by-side or diagonally across multiple lanes of traffic of a multi-lane highway to clear snow from two or more lanes at once."
State Sen. Wayne Harper (R-Taylorsville) is the author of the bill that will be brought up during the legislative session that begins on Jan. 17.
