We wish you knew …

Chances are, if you think at all about the road crews you pass on Utah’s streets, it probably centers around the extra time it takes to maneuver around them before reaching your destination. We like to think that you might also appreciate the job they’re doing, clearing the way for you on roads that won’t jar your vehicle out of balance.

But in talking with different crews, it is evident that they are thinking about you … a lot. And whether they’re cleaning up after a nor’easter along the East Coast or a seasonal snowfall along the Wasatch Front, they have a few things they wish more drivers knew as they share the road.

Keep these in mind if you see our local and special service districts on the job for you:

• Use common sense. You aren’t happy to see them dominate a pair of lanes and they know that. But it is safer for all involved if you slow down and safely make your way around them. They have family at home just as eager to see them return safely as you do!

• Know, too, that the worse the storm, the more likely they’ve already been on the job for hours before you came along. And they will still be there long after you are safely home. It is the nature of the job … and even more reason to give them a little room as they get it done. Your job? Unless you are in the business of helping others weather the storm, give yourself a little extra time and stay out of their way!

• If conditions are really bad – you are making your way down from the mountain after a big snowfall – consider staying home. And you know in Utah, we all live downhill! Until things are cleared up, you are a liability to yourself, to the first-responders who will come to your rescue if you slip-slide down the road and to the crews trying to work around you. If an alert is sounded, take it seriously.

This is a year-round job for our crews, with hours of preparation put into getting together the equipment and material needed to meet your needs. And they are always on alert for the moment you need them most. How can we thank them for their service?

Give them the room they need to do it right!