St. Paul — (Feb. 10) -- Nine traffic crashes involving snowplows have occurred on area highways throughout Minnesota in the last two days, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Five of the crashes happened in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and four took place in southeastern Minnesota.

Mn/DOT reminds motorists of these safe driving tips around snowplows:

Stay back -- at least five car lengths behind the plow, far from the snow cloud; snowplow operators will pull over when it is safe to do so to allow traffic build-up to pass.

Stay alert -- snowplows turn or exit frequently and often with little warning; they may also travel over centerlines or partially in traffic to further improve road conditions.

Slow down -- snowplows typically move at slower speeds.

Be patient -- remember snowplows are working to improve road conditions for your trip.

Check road conditions -- go to www.511mn.org or call 511; it takes time to get roads back to good driving conditions.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.