B.C. road contractor urges drivers to give plows wide berth after Coquihalla crash

With snow falling across southern B.C. on Wednesday, a provincial road maintenance contractor is reminding people to use caution when sharing the roads with snowplows.

Argo Roads Thompson, B.C.'s contractor for the Kamloops area, shared a photo of a mangled pickup truck on social media Tuesday afternoon, explaining that the vehicle had attempted to pass one of its plows on the right.

"This is a serious no-no," the post reads, before going on to explain what happened.

"Many of our trucks are equipped with a wing plow on the right side … When the plow is plowing, these wings can be really hard to see. If you try to pass on the right, as this truck did, you could hit it – like this truck did."

The company said neither the truck driver nor the plow driver was seriously injured, but stressed that the collision "could have been much, much worse."

It also noted that the incident took the plow out of service at a time when heavy snow was in the forecast.

"This is a plow that would otherwise have been out there keeping the road safe for your loved ones," Argo Roads Thompson wrote.

"Our plows have flashing lights on the back for a reason. Please do not pass them if these lights are flashing. Our operators will turn the big flashing lights on the back of the truck off and pull over when it is safe for you to pass."

Wednesday's snow snarled traffic on roads across the South Coast, as both the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and Metro Vancouver's transit provider urged the public to avoid non-essential travel. 

"Should travel be necessary, drivers must ensure their vehicle is properly equipped for winter conditions, including having winter or snow-rated tires in good condition," the ministry said in a statement earlier in the week.

"Drivers can help maintenance crews by providing space for them on highways and moving over safely when they see a vehicle with an amber light approaching. This will allow crews to improve road conditions and reduce hazards for drivers."