Students from 80 Pennsylvania high schools helped PennDOT encourage safe driving through participation in the 2023-24 edition of the department's annual Paint the Plow contest.
Paint the Plow is a statewide outreach aimed at promoting winter driving safety and fostering appreciation for high school art programs and student creativity. Each year, PennDOT invites high school students from across the commonwealth to paint plow truck blades based on a statewide theme. This year's slogan – "Seat Belts are Always in Season" – was chosen to remind motorists that seat belts save lives and should be worn year-round.
To further promote the message and draw attention to the wonderful artwork done by the students, participating PennDOT districts hold internal polling to choose a Judges' Pick award and public online voting to determine a winner of the Fan Favorite honor.
This week, in conjunction with Winter Driving Awareness Week, PennDOT announced the Paint the Plow winners in those two categories. With nearly 29,000 votes cast, the winning plows from the participating districts are:
1
| Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, Warren
| Commodore Perry High School
(Honorable mention: West Middlesex High School)
| Commodore Perry High School
|
2
| Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, Potter
| Sugar Valley High School
| Elk County Catholic High School
|
4
| Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming
| Hanover High School
| Dunmore High School
|
5
| Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Schuylkill
| n/a
| Pocono Mountain East High School
|
9
| Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Somerset
| n/a
| Tussey Mountain High School
|
10
| Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, Jefferson
| n/a
| Keystone School District
|
11
| Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence
| Freedom Area High School
| Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
|
12
| Fayette, Greene, Washington, Westmoreland
| Yough Senior High School
| Yough Senior High School
|
View photos of the all the plows on our Paint the Plow page.
PennDOT first implemented the Paint the Plow program in 2015 and has expanded it throughout the years. In 2019, the districts began coordinating efforts around a statewide theme, program guidelines, and application process. This year marked additional coordination as voting was held concurrently for all districts to build greater engagement and awareness of Paint the Plow throughout the commonwealth.
Sign-ups for the 2024-25 program will start in late winter or early spring, depending on the district. Check the Paint the Plow page for contact information for the program coordinator in your area.
For more information on PennDOT's winter preparations and additional winter-driving resources for motorists, visit the department's winter website.