Why You Should Always Thoroughly Clear All Snow From Your Vehicle

12/30/2019 (Permalink)

Remember, you can be fined up to $200 if pulled over for failure to clear snow and ice off your vehicle properly.

Clear the snow, or face the consequences

In our safety-valued society, it is strange to see so many people driving around with piles of snow on the roofs of their cars. The danger posed by these uncleared piles is clear for everyone to see. As cars speed up, especially on highways, the backdraft blows the snow and hardened ice into the windshields of following vehicles, momentarily blinding them, or possible damaging their cars.

Added to this are precarious road conditions – usually, when it snows, the road is slippery, wet, or possibly even icy. On January 30, 2019, after a particularly bad storm, Massachusetts State Police issued a warning to drivers that they could be fined up to $200 if pulled over for failure to clean their cars properly. This came after an incident in Boxboro when chunks of ice blew back from a tractor and smashed into a car’s windshield. Another car was struck by flying snow and ice in Auburn, on January 22 of that year. Ultimately, the dangers are clear to see, and responsible drivers have a moral obligation to ensure they are not a threat to others on the road.

Though completely clearing the snow off your car might feel like a tedious task, remember that it’s about safety. Don’t cut corners either, you can be fined up to $40 for unsafe operation if the snow is blocking any of your visibility. So please, the next time it snows please make time to completely and properly clean your vehicle of all snow and ice. It could save a life.