The holiday season may be over, but winter itself isn't for at least two more months. As such, snow will be a common sight for everyone until spring arrives in late March, which is either a welcome sight or an obstacle in people's daily lives.

Snow plows are vastly different from snow blowers, though they do the same job. Both clear paths from the snow for people to go on. However, snow plows are the monster truck version of a snow blower. 

Rather than blow snow away to clear a path, snow plows... plow through dense amounts of snow to make one. Because of this, however, they come with a set of risks that famous actor Jeremy Renner, unfortunately, knew first-hand, per the New York Post.

Here are some tips for you to stay safe while using a snow plow to avoid being the next victim of a snow plow:

Achieve Full Rest Before Using One

As with all things, using a Snow Plow requires you to be alert and awake, and with a snow plow being as huge as they are, it is important to be fully rested before operating it, per NPR.

Much like driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle, getting a full night's rest before using a snow plow is the ideal situation to prevent injuries to yourself and others. 

Inspect The Snow Plow And Vehicle Thoroughly Before And After Use

Things deteriorate over time even with the best possible care, which is also true for a snow plow and the vehicle it is attached to. Try to look for signs of wear and tear on the snow plow to determine if it is still in working condition.

The same goes for the vehicle the snow plow is attached to since it is doing most of the heavy lifting of the plowing process: pushing the plow forwards to clear a path from the snow. 

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Try Not To Exceed 40 MPH With A Snow Plow

As much as it may be fun seeing snow fly away from the snow plow while clearing a path for you to use, it isn't fun to see an overheating engine or angry neighbors cursing you out for being careless about where the snow will go. 

According to EMC Insurance, plowing speed should be reasonable and appropriate for conditions and traffic. A reasonable speed is a manageable speed, making turns and plowing next to curbs, vehicles, and other obstructions easier.

Identify Obstacles Early On

Another reason to stay at a reasonable and manageable speed is to have enough reaction time to obstacles that may come your way when operating a snow plow. These obstacles include speed bumps, curbs, fences, and pipes.

Knowing where these are early on lets you draw up a route that best attacks your needs. 

Monitor The Temperature Gauge To Prevent Overheating

Plowing snow to clear a road can be tough on a car even when it's only going 40 MPH. This difficulty is due to the amount of snow it is pushing to clear a path, and if a normal human being can get overexerted shoveling snow away, a machine, or in this case, an engine is no different.

While operating a snow plow, try to keep a close eye on the temperature gauge to see if the engine is overheating or not. Heat may be good during the winter, but an overheating engine is the last thing you need while plowing snow.

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