Pushing Snow Across the dirt road and down into the ditch

[kevin37b]

Gary Fowler , you are a true inspiration .

 

[Karl2]

There are people that are busybodies that have nothing better to do. I would never plow across a highway but a small backcountry dirt road with little to no traffic I have no problem with it as long as it does not cause any flooding or problems.

Good point. While there are obvious reasons why it's illegal to push snow across any sort of highway or street with normal traffic the same should not apply to a car-an-hour dirt road.

 

[bcp]

Now just recently two of the neighbors who own Bulldozers decided to clear their own drives, the problem comes in that they push from their driveway across the road and into the ditches.. The heavy push right over the culvert might become a problem in the spring but that is their issue until it happens to take out the Culvert (last April).. The bigger problem for me at the moment, is that the Dozer blades cut into the road itself and spread mud and loose gravel across the road which makes it an issue for my blower when the next snowfall happens (tomorrow)..

Sometimes people don't even know they are creating a problem. Have you mentioned it to them?

Bruce

 

[Karl2]

I think you may have hit upon the neighbor who suddenly says no snow in my field. Salt contamination would kill the ground and anything in it so I could understand his rant if one year you had salted the driveway then pushed it into his field so the following year nothing grew there.
I talked to one Canadian from Nova Scotia who said the city used to haul the snow to the harbor and dump it then EPA Canada said no more it is contaminating the ocean.

It's similar here, they used to dump salty snow in the Kennebec river but that's not allowed anymore, they have to use snow depots. Not only was the salt killing fish but it also melted the ice that normally covers the river 2-3 months a year. I'm no expert on the matter but apparently it was very detrimental to certain bottom-dwelling fish (I think carp and sturgeon, we have no catfish to speak of here) by preventing them to rise near the more oxygen-rich surface like theynormally do during winter when the ice cover keeps water temperature steady.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have seen people push snow across roads and eventually destroy fences on the other side of the road. I have also seen folks push snow across the road upstream of their neighbors drive so the county pushes that snow down the road and fills the across the road neighbors drive. My thought is, if it is your snow, deal with it on your own property.... same with leaves, brush, etc. ' Don't dump on thy neighbor ', the 11th commandment...... [ ]

I agree with you. What I have noticed is there are a lot of people around here who plow across the road and while they are in the process of clearing their drive they have a lot of snow in the road. The large piles of packed snow coming off his blade can cause a small vehicle to lose control if your not expecting it (like when you crest a hill and all of the sudden hit a bunch of snow). I don't plow across the road on any of our property. My parents house requires me to pull the snow away from the house (driveway is short and in front of the house, can't push it anywhere) so I drop the box and drag the snow. We have a large shoulder here so I can pull it out of the drive, turn onto the shoulder and drag it back into the yard. Lift the box, back up and use the loader to push it further away from the road. The box keeps the snow from flowing into the road or the shoulder and I never have to cross into the lane where the traffic is. My house I can push it all straight back or pull it like I do at my parents.

I personally feel it you can't clear the snow with a blade because you have no good place on your own property to pile it then get a snow blower and then it isn't a problem.

I have always been told it is illegal to plow across the road here in NY but I believe the police only stop if you leave snow in the road.

 

[Looking4new]

It is illegal anywhere in Ontario to put snow on a thoroughfare, be it the main highways, town streets, county roads or country roads. The way I see it (not that I do it, I've a snow blower) IF you plow across the road and then clean up your mess, there shouldn't be a problem. I also clean 20' back on the side the township plow is coming from for me and the driveways I clear.

 

[catdozer]

Really I would just go ahead and push the snow across, if he stops you again I would say "whoops I forgot",
I also live down a dirt road and we have ditches for the wet fields, the one across my road are 20-25 ft wide and about 10-14 ft deep.
I bucket snow out with the Deere 644H when it's home, then take the tractor and make a snow road across it so I can go snowmobiling, and take the gator to go hunting. Many people use it to go to the bar. Also the county dumps snow for me sometimes to make it bigger when snowmobiling picks up.
never had a problem in the spring with melting as soon as the water starts flowing, it just undermines the snow and continues flowing

 

[PILOON]

Our 'rule of thumb' when pushing across roads is that your snow is pushed beyond the plow banks so as to not create a 'bump' in the snow bank.
When the city plow is clearing in a storm with snow flying in all directions the poor driver can not see a frozen pile you left and consequently when his blade hits that (often frozen) protrusion he can either hit his head or worst be deflected into oncoming traffic.
Naturally always clean up any traces of your plowing.
I often actually retraced the city's plow path to re create his work.
Never had any complaints.

 

[herbertperform]

Where I live in WI I received notice in the mail from my township last Fall stating it is illegal to even push snow across the roadway. This includes the dirt town roads. I can see why. You get lazy idiots who plow across the road and don't clean up after themselves. This can leave a hard packed berm that is dangerous for vehicles traveling the road.

 

[chopped]

Seems that it should be common sense, but now a days we have to pass laws ..lol But here on my road we have a couple or driveways that come down steep and they push it accross the street.Do a pretty good job. but they dont push it over into the roadside far enough and after a few storms it builds up.Some years this buldges so much even the grader has a tough time pushing it back....They need to think ahead..

 

[rmorey]

Wouldn't it be easier to just see if there is a bylaw pertaining to this? County probably has a website with info re: everything.

 

[pat32rf]

When we lived in Whitby the best place to store snow was in a vacant lot across the road, about 3 houses down. After doing my driveway (went up beside my house) I would push the snow from in front of my house and all my neighbour's houses and our sidewalks, over to the vacant yard. Worked fine for a number of years, then a new neighbour complained about me plowing HIS sidewalk....Duh

 

[Gator6x4]

Visit a shopping center late one night. Look around and make sure it is clear. Now give yourself sufficient room to get up to fifty five miles per hour before driving over one of the speed bumps. After you extract your upper body from the ceiling, say now that's why they don't want snow pushed across the road. People who push snow across roads do not generally do a clean and neat job. Most create a huge speed bump. Then along comes someone traveling at fifty five miles per hour and they are launched into low orbit.

 

[Earl Ohl]

Visit a shopping center late one night. Look around and make sure it is clear. Now give yourself sufficient room to get up to fifty five miles per hour before driving over one of the speed bumps. After you extract your upper body from the ceiling, say now that's why they don't want snow pushed across the road. People who push snow across roads do not generally do a clean and neat job. Most create a huge speed bump. Then along comes someone traveling at fifty five miles per hour and they are launched into low orbit.

Maybe they shouldn't be driving that fast either?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Maybe they shouldn't be driving that fast either?

Why? If it is a legal speed limit on the road and the road conditions are clear why not drive legal speed limits? But now everything is fine and someone decides to clear their drive a day after the snow storm and pushes it across the road. Now all the road is clear till you hit what someone just pushed into the road.

 

[Earl Ohl]

Why? If it is a legal speed limit on the road and the road conditions are clear why not drive legal speed limits? But now everything is fine and someone decides to clear their drive a day after the snow storm and pushes it across the road. Now all the road is clear till you hit what someone just pushed into the road.

Just because it's a legal speed limit doesn't mean it's safe to drive that fast.

 

[deerseeker001]

i was also told by the guy who plows our roads for the township that is illegal to plow across the roads.

Where I live in WI I received notice in the mail from my township last Fall stating it is illegal to even push snow across the roadway. This includes the dirt town roads. I can see why. You get lazy idiots who plow across the road and don't clean up after themselves. This can leave a hard packed berm that is dangerous for vehicles traveling the road.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Just because it's a legal speed limit doesn't mean it's safe to drive that fast.

If the road is clear and it is the legal posted speed then it is safe to drive that fast.

 

[DABSGT]

If the road is clear and it is the legal posted speed then it is safe to drive that fast.

I no matter what speed some one is traveling it is a hazard, if it is pushed into the road and freezes it is like hitting a block or an unsuspecting ice patch. It is a HAZARD! If you must push it across the road please just clean it up. One other thing it is easy to figure out who's driveway the snow came from and it should be noted in any accident report as a contributing factor. If it came from your driveway can you spell law suit?

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[Robert_in_NY]

I no matter what speed some one is traveling it is a hazard, if it is pushed into the road and freezes it is like hitting a block or an unsuspecting ice patch. It is a HAZARD! If you must push it across the road please just clean it up. One other thing it is easy to figure out who's driveway the snow came from and it should be noted in any accident report as a contributing factor. If it came from your driveway can you spell law suit?

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I agree, I've hit a few spots around here over the years and while never had an accident I know how easy someone could in the right conditions.