INDOT recommends residents along state and U.S. highways take advantage of the break in the weather to ready their mailboxes for winter’s next blast.
INDOT officials note their yellow plow trucks often travel slower than the posted speed limit, and their drivers are careful to avoid mailboxes. However, in spite of their best efforts, the weight of snow thrown from plows can damage mailboxes with weak supports.
INDOT officials add property owners are responsible for installing and maintaining mailboxes on state highway rights of way. They say a mailbox placed as far from the edge of the road as a carrier can reach from a vehicle and mounted on a sturdy support should be able to withstand the force of snow thrown from a plow. Additionally, keeping access areas near the mailbox clear of snow can help ensure safer delivery of mail and reduce the amount of snow coming off the plow.
For starters, place a 6-to-8 inch piece of reflective tape on the mailbox to help plow drivers see it at night.
Also, remove snow from around your mailbox, but avoid throwing it back onto the roadway. Inspect your mailbox. Make sure it’s firmly supported in the ground and check for deteriorated wooden and rusted metal posts. Make sure the box is securely mounted to the post as well, and check the mounts for rust and wear.
Avoid plastic mailboxes if possible, as some have a tendency to shatter in cold weather.
INDOT suggests changing the location of the mailbox if it continues to get knocked down. Sometimes moving it a few feet in either direction can help.
INDOT is not able to repair damaged mailboxes. Homeowners who have followed these tips in the past and have still experienced mailbox damage should check local hardware stores for a snow shield or wooden protectors for the mailbox or install a swinging mailbox support that will swing it out of harm’s way.
