While it has been a more active winter this year for Pennsylvania Turnpike crews due to frequent snowstorms, it’s actually been safer than previous years, writes Mike DeNardo for KYW Newsradio.
Fewer car crashes have occurred on the turnpike this year, despite the region experiencing more snow.
According to Chief Operating Officer Craig Shuey, much of this has to do with the timing of the storms. The snow hasn’t hit the region during rush hour; instead, it’s been hitting on the weekends when the roadways are more open.
“If it hits us on a Tuesday at 6 in the morning through noon, or through the rush hour in the evening, there’s a much greater chance for us to have a lot more crashes than in the storms that we’ve had this year,” Shuey said.
Typically, when weather reports note a major snowstorm, drivers listen to warnings and stay home.
“There is something to be said for a big storm. People kind of prepare for it. They expect it. They stay off the road,” he said. “Little nuisance storms that happen during the commuting hours, they have a tendency to create a lot more havoc.”
Issues tend to arise from vehicles with bad tires and unprepared drivers.
Read more about how the number of car crashes on the Pennsylvania Turnpike has decreased despite the snow on KYW Newsradio.
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