In connection with Winter Driving Awareness Week, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is pleased to announce the District 1 regional winners of the Paint the Plow safety outreach contest.

Paint the Plow is a statewide outreach aimed at promoting winter driving safety and fostering appreciation for high school art programs and student creativity. Students are invited to paint a plow blade with an original design based on a provided theme.

Commodore Perry High School of Mercer County won the "Fan Favorite" award, which was determined by online voting through www.penndot.pa.gov/PaintthePlow. The plow depicts two people riding in a vehicle with their wearing their seat belts and a deer standing nearby. The background of the artwork features foliage from spring, winter, fall, and summer to convey this year's theme – "Seat belts are always in season."

Members of the public were invited to vote for their favorite plow from ten area high schools that entered in this year's regional contest. Votes were accepted from January 8 to 15, 2024. Commodore Perry High School received 886 votes to win the 2023-24 "Fan Favorite" honor.

The winner of the "Judges' Pick" award was also Commodore Perry High School. West Middlesex High School of Mercer County was the honorable mention in the "Judges' Pick" category, which was determined through judging by PennDOT representatives.

During the winter weather season, the painted blades are used to maintain state-owned roadways.

Statewide, more than 80 schools participated in Paint the Plow and nearly 29,000 votes were cast. Photos of all the plows can be viewed on the PennDOT's Paint the Plow website.

Winter Driving Awareness Week, which runs through January 21, is a reminder to motorists to practice safe habits behind the wheel, and especially during inclement weather. PennDOT advises drivers to stay in during snow events unless it's necessary to be out. If traveling is necessary, practice the following winter driving tips:

• Use low beams in snowy weather;

• Keep the gas tank at least half full;

• Reduce your speed;

• Remove accumulated ice or snow from your vehicle, including the hood, trunk, and roof;

• Increase the following distance from the vehicle in front of you; and

• Use extra caution on bridges and ramps, where ice can form without warning.

Additionally, when encountering a plow truck on the road, give it plenty of space, staying at least six car lengths behind. There may be blind spots where it is difficult for the plow operator to see the smaller vehicle. Never try to pass or get between several trucks plowing side by side in a "plow train," and keep your lights on to help the operator better see your vehicle.

To help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to "Know Before You Go" by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. Users can also see plow truck statuses and travel alerts along a specific route using the "Check My Route" tool.

For more information on PennDOT's winter preparations and additional winter-driving resources for motorists, visit the department's winter website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.

Follow local PennDOT news on X and like the department on Facebook.

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