News

Shake Your Mailbox on October 31st

October 28, 2015  |  warren county, wceo, weather

The Warren County Engineer's Office asks residents to prepare for winter by shaking their mailbox.  The Warren County Board of Commissioners has signed a proclamation declaring Saturday, October 31, 2015, the “Shake Your Mailbox Day” in Warren County, Ohio. 

“In most instances where mailboxes are damaged, the snow plow doesn’t actually hit the mailbox, but the force of snow thrown from the roadway is enough to knock down a loose mailbox,” Warren County Engineer, Neil Tunison, P.E., P.S., said.  “Damage to posts and receptacles can often be prevented by proper routine maintenance.”

Shake Your Mailbox Day started in 2008 as the innovative idea of one county in Michigan frustrated by residents’ complaints of damaged mailboxes.  In 2009, the Warren County Engineer’s Office was encouraged to join forces in the campaign by former local postmaster of the Oregonia Post Office, Ruth Fisher.  The campaign that generated a few chuckles at first has come to save homeowners both money and headaches.

Many homeowners have started the practice of changing batteries in smoke detectors and filters in furnaces when clocks are changed for daylight savings time.  In the same manner, Shake Your Mailbox Day reminds homeowners to prepare their mailbox for winter. “Taking time to tighten screws and secure mail receptacles now can prevent serious headaches later,” Tunison said.  “If the mailbox moves when shaken, it probably won’t withstand standard snow removal operations and should be repaired or replaced before winter.”

Although the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Warren County Engineer’s Office (WCEO) have policies in place regarding replacement of mailboxes that have clearly been hit by a snowplow, local road agencies have never assumed responsibility for mailbox damage caused by standard snow removal operations. 

Mailboxes are one of the only objects allowed by law to be placed in the road right-of-way. The location and construction of mailboxes must conform to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service and standards established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).”

“We will be out in coming weeks marking roadsides and preparing for winter maintenance operations,” Tunison said.  “Each fall we find mailboxes that pose a serious roadside hazard to motorists and a liability risk for homeowners.  Although milk cans filled with concrete, brick structures and other items are artistic, they present significant dangers to motorists.”

If you have questions on what is permitted, please contact the Warren County Highway Department at (513) 925-3329 or visit our website at http://www.wceo.us/news/333/Shake-Your-Mailbox-on-October-31.