The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is announcing the District 5 region winners of the Paint the Plow safety outreach contest.

Paint the Plow is a statewide initiative that highlights safe winter driving while showcasing the artistic talents of students across Pennsylvania. Students paint snowplow blades with original artwork reflecting a theme selected by PennDOT.

This year, Pleasant Valley High School of Monroe County won the “Fan Favorite” award, determined by online voting at penndot.pa.gov/PaintThePlow. The fans decided the PVHS plow design best captured the spirit of this year’s theme “Don’t race. Allow some space.”

An honorable mention went to Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.

Members of the public were invited to vote for their favorite plow from 15 area schools that entered in this year’s regional contest. Votes were accepted from Dec. 8 through Dec. 14. Pleasant Valley High School received 1,318 votes to earn the “Fan Favorite” honor.

The “Judges’ Pick” award was presented to Pocono Mountain High School of Monroe County, selected by a panel of PennDOT representatives. That design stood out for its creativity and connection to the winter safety message. An honorable mention in this category went to Pleasant Valley High School.

Throughout the winter season, the student-painted plow blades are put into service on state-owned roadways.

Statewide, more than 78 schools participated in this year’s Paint the Plow, with over 22,000 votes cast in the online “Fan Favorite” competition. Photos of all the plows can be viewed on PennDOT’s Paint the Plow website.

As a reminder, PennDOT urges motorists to practice caution around snowplows. Always maintain a distance of at least six car lengths behind a plow, avoid driving in blind spots, and never attempt to pass or drive between plows operating side by side in a “plow train.” Keep your headlights on to help plow drivers see your vehicle more clearly.

To help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com.