Norristown, PA – Today, PennDOT District 6 Executive Din Abazi joined local and state police and AAA Mid-Atlantic at the maintenance facility in Norristown, Montgomery County, to highlight winter preparedness, employment opportunities, and upcoming holiday traffic safety mobilizations across the five-county Philadelphia region.
PennDOT Engineering District 6 is responsible for over 10,000 snow-lane miles on state highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. With over $29.4 million budgeted for this winter’s regional operations, the District 6 fleet consists of 200 state-owned snow trucks and 241 private contractor trucks and has over 110,000 tons of salt on hand across various facilities and 36 salt stockpiles across the region.
Assisting PennDOT this winter in the Philadelphia region are 89 municipalities that are participating in winter maintenance agreements covering more than 2,490 snow lane miles, whereby local crews treat and clear specified state roads in each municipality.
When winter weather hits, PennDOT’s primary focus is on interstates, expressways, and higher-traffic roads and continuing to keep all routes passable. During larger storms, lower-traffic roadways may take longer to address but PennDOT will continue to plow roads until the storm ends and roads are cleared.
“PennDOT asks drivers to slow down and to use 511PA and the resources available to them to make their trips safer this winter,” said Abazi. “Equipment operators will be treating and clearing surfaces to keep everyone moving. We appreciate the public’s patience and for doing their part in keeping our roads safe.”
The Shapiro Administration has added and expanded tools and safety measures for the public:
- PennDOT is expanding automated weather messaging corridors where roadside weather station readings are used to alert drivers of potential whiteout and slippery driving conditions ahead. The department piloted a corridor last winter on Interstates 79 and 90 in Erie County and will be expanding this technology to major interstate corridors throughout the state. On these corridors, when weather stations in the area indicate low visibility, high levels of snow intensity, and a decrease in the friction levels of the pavement, changeable message signs approaching the area are automatically updated with warning messages to inform drivers they are approaching dangerous driving conditions: “Whiteout conditions ahead, reduce speed.”
- As part of PennDOT’s data-sharing agreement with Waze (through which the department currently provides crash, work-zone, and other data for navigation purposes), beginning this winter PennDOT plow trucks and Freeway Service Patrol vehicles will appear within the navigation provider’s “Roadside Hazard” category. Waze users will hear and see alerts about the vehicles as they approach them, providing enhanced safety and information for the public and those working on the roads.
- PennDOT is partnering with Fleetworthy (formerly Drivewyze) – a trucking information application – to provide vehicle restriction information to truck drivers when they’re in effect during the winter season. Truck drivers using the service will receive an alert in their vehicle when approaching an interchange with a road where a restriction is in effect, providing an additional, advance notice when inclement weather requires these restrictions. Through the same partnership, PennDOT and the PA Turnpike provide work-zone truck-specific alerts through this service.
PennDOT continues to ask for the public’s help in keeping themselves and snowplow drivers safe by slowing down, increasing their following distance, avoiding distractions, and staying off the road during winter storms.
The public can access travel information on nearly 40,000 state-maintained roadway miles year-round at www.511PA.com, and during the winter they can find plow-truck locations and details of when state-maintained roadways were last plowed. The information is made possible by PennDOT’s Automated Vehicle Location technology, which uses units in the over 2,700 department-owned and rented plow trucks to send a cellular signal showing a truck’s location.
PennDOT is actively seeking temporary equipment operators statewide for the winter season to supplement the department's full-time staff. Details on minimum requirements – such as possession of a CDL – as well as application information, are available at www.employment.pa.gov/penndot. Through the same website and www.employment.pa.gov, job seekers can apply for other non-operator winter positions such as diesel and construction equipment mechanics, welders, clerks and more.
Approaching the winter holiday season, PennDOT partners with local and state law enforcement and traffic safety partners to promote Operation Safe Holiday and remind drivers about the importance of safe driving practices and the consistent use of seat belts.
Through the end of the year, state and local law enforcement will participate in “Operation Safe Holiday,” the holiday season impaired driving campaign. High visibility enforcement efforts such as sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols, and regular traffic safety patrols will occur through the New Year’s holiday to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities involving an impaired driver.
According to PennDOT data, from November 26, 2025, through January 2, 2026, there were 13,240 crashes statewide. Of those crashes, 3,338 occurred in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties, resulting in 23 fatalities and 1,963 injuries.
"This is our first holiday season with the Paul Miller Law for handheld devices,” said Norristown Borough Police Department Chief Michael Trail. “Make sure you are not using your handheld device when you are driving behind the wheel.”
In addition to reminding everyone to keep your eyes on the road during holiday travel, PennDOT also wants drivers to understand that alcohol is not the only substance that can impair driving abilities.
Alcohol, marijuana, and various other drugs can affect a driver's coordination, judgment, and reaction times. Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause severe drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects. Drivers should read and follow all warning labels carefully, especially those that advise against "operating heavy machinery," which includes driving a vehicle.
“We ask you to slow down, buckle up, move over, drive sober, put the phone away, and give yourself enough time to get to where you need to go. Please, leave the grinch attitude at home!” said Pennsylvania State Trooper Jessica Tobin.
PennDOT, police, and regional safety partners recommended the following tips to get home safely:
- Plan for a sober ride home, and if you need to, designate someone to hold you accountable.
- If you choose to drink, don't drive impaired. Call a sober friend, rideshare, or taxi, or take public transportation to get home safely.
- If you're hosting and see someone about to drive impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.
“We expect many millions of people to be on the roadways during the holiday season,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic Manager of Public and Government Affairs Jana Tidwell. “Last year, one in four Americans were travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday alone. 90 percent of them will go by car. AAA urges motorists to have a safe plan to get home if alcohol is involved in your celebration. Make that plan before you head out to the party. There is no excuse for drunk driving.”
PennDOT’s media resources web page offers social media-sized graphics for numerous transportation-related campaigns, including safety topics such as aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, and seat belts for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.
For more information on PennDOT's highway safety efforts, visit www.pa.gov/dotsafety.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Helen Reinbrecht, hreinbrech@pa.gov
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