(Harrisburg) -- PennDOT is showing off new snow plowing equipment it says can make its road clearing efforts more efficient this winter. Meet the tow plow: 24 feet of a road-clearing marvel, brought to you by PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The plows can clear two lanes of traffic at once, freeing up other plows and salt truck drivers to tackle smaller roads. But, the machine also increases the likelihood that drivers could get stuck behind a two-lane plow. That’s something PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch is warning about. He says his agency recorded almost 40 crashes last year in which a vehicle hit a state snow plow.

"Now clearly, that’s an issue where people are getting a little too aggressive in winter conditions. If you think about it, if you’re behind a plow, where’s the best conditions?" he asked. "After the plow has gone through. Stay behind it. And give us a little bit of room. We’re out there to clear the roads for your safety." This isn’t the first time the tow-plows will hit the roads.Last winter, they were used in Allegheny, Berks, and Lackawanna counties. This year, they’re expected to clear roads in Montgomery, Perry, Cambria, and Schuylkill counties.