Bingham County has a snowplowing goal of providing safe passage on the roads of the county and they need homeowners’ help to do so. It is the owners’ responsibility to remove snow from their drives and sidewalks.

Specifically, they are requesting that homeowners plow their driveways from the road toward the house and pile their snow on the side of the driveway. They are also suggesting that the owners plow a few feet of the shoulder before the driveway so the snow load of the plow has time to drop before the driveway — avoiding a berm of snow across a cleared driveway left by the snowplow.

The problem with plowing driveway snow onto the street or shoulder is that it can add another snow berm, creating unsafe driving conditions. Also, those berms can freeze and harden to become an “iceberg” obstacle for vehicles and plows — enough of an obstacle to create damages, which the homeowner can be held liable for.

Additionally, those icebergs gather large snow drifts that affect traffic even more. Three reasons to reverse directions when plowing the driveway.

If you have a mailbox that needs uncovering, the county suggests that when you plow the approach, you plow in advance and put the snow behind the mailbox. Clearing the approach like you do the driveway decreases the possibility that the snowplow’s thrown snow will damage your mailbox, according to the county.

A public service announcement outline of the details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/binghamcountyidaho/.

The county’s hope is that by working together with residents the county can timely and efficiently keep the roads clear for safe traveling. All these recommendations also translate to wisely using taxpayers’ money and to greater protection from liability claims against homeowners.