Prepare for snow removal
Leaders of county road agencies around Michigan encourage homeowners to check the safety of their mailboxes today, designated by Gov. Rick Snyder as the 6th annual “Shake Your Mailbox Day.”
Officials with the County Road Association of Michigan urge homeowners to tighten screws on mailboxes, and secure mailboxes and posts, to prepare for the upcoming winter snow-removal season.
“Damage to mailboxes is typically caused by the force of snow thrown from a passing snowplow, not being hit by a snowplow,” said Denise Donohue, director of the County Road Association of Michigan, representing the state’s 83 road departments, including the Tuscola County Road Commission.
“Shake Your Mailbox Day” was started to allow homeowners to help their county road agency clear snow properly and protect their mailboxes and newspaper boxes.
Many people don’t realize the force of snow being cleared from the road as the plow truck passes, according to Donohue. In order to apply salt and throw snow away from the road, trucks must maintain a speed of 25 to 35 mph, she said.
“‘Shake Your Mailbox Day’ received quite a few laughs when the concept was announced in 2008, but as homeowners learned the importance of checking their mailbox stability in warmer weather, damage to mailboxes decreased,” Donohue said.
If homeowners have questions about what types of mailboxes are allowed, they should contact their county road agency to learn about federal guidelines, Donohue said.