Are There Laws Against Driving with Snow Or Ice On A Vehicle?

Are There Laws Against Driving with Snow Or Ice On A Vehicle?

Winter is here, which means preparing to drive in bad weather.  In addition to making sure that a car’s tires have enough tread, and its battery can start when the temperatures drop, winter preparation includes being ready to deal with snow and ice that collect on a car.  Drivers are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are not dangerous to other motorists and pedestrians, but the laws on a driver’s responsibility for snow and ice on a moving vehicle vary from state to state.

A few states have laws that specifically require motorists to remove snow and ice from a car’s roof, hood, and windows before driving.  For instance, a Pennsylvania statute requires that drivers “make reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow from the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, including the hood, trunk, and roof of the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, within 24 hours after the cessation of the falling snow or ice.”  75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3721.  The same statute subjects violators to fines, which can increase where ice or snow from a moving vehicle causes serious injury or death.

In many more states, more general laws are applied to hold drivers responsible for unsafe conditions caused by ice and snow on their cars.  In West Virginia, for example, state law forbids driving a vehicle “with any sign, poster, or other nontransparent material upon the front windshield, side wings, or side or rear windows of such vehicle which obstructs the driver’s clear view of the highway or any intersecting highway.”  W. Va. Code § 17C-15-36.  Similarly, Ohio law makes it a misdemeanor to “drive or move, or cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved, on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person.”

Of course, whether or not a ticket or fine results, a driver can be legally responsible for paying for harm caused by irresponsibly driving a vehicle without removing ice and snow that has been collected on it.  That is why it remains important to use common sense in bad weather, give yourself extra time to remove ice and snow from your car, and keep aware of weather conditions to stay safe on the road.