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11 States That Fine You for Having Snow and Ice on Your Car


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11 States That Fine You for Having Snow and Ice on Your Car

 
DAWN ALLCOT
 
nicoletaionescu / iStock.com
 
nicoletaionescu / iStock.com

 

As winter rolls around, you might notice drivers with a thick layer of snow on the roof of their car, snow covering headlights or a dusting on the side-view mirror. Maybe after wiping the snow from the windshield, the driver was running late for work. Or maybe they were too short to reach the roof of their car, even with a long-handled snow brush. (The struggle is real!)

Know: 5 Appliances That Will Not Hike Up Your Electricity Bills This Winter
Explore: 10 States Where Car Insurance Costs Most (and Least)

Unfortunately, driving with snow on your car can reduce visibility for yourself or other drivers if it flies off on the highway. It can block your front windshield or back window, obstructing your view. It can also fly backwards, blocking the windshield of another driver.

If the snow or ice is thick or heavy enough, it can even cause property damage or injury to others. In instances where ice build-up shoots off at high speeds, it’s called an “ice missile.”

Fix Auto USA reported that a Pennsylvania woman was killed when a piece of ice flew off a tractor trailer and smashed through the windshield of her car. Pennsylvania’s legislation requiring that ice and snow be removed from vehicles, which was passed in 2022, is called Christine’s Law.

Because of the dangers that come with neglecting a task that should only take a few minutes, driving with snow or ice on your car is illegal in some states. Other states that don’t have snow-specific laws may prohibit drivers from operating a vehicle with an obstructed view, which would include ice or snow on the windows. Some states also have “unsecured load” laws, and ice or snow would fall under this category, according to FindLaw.

Keep in mind, in most states, if the snow started falling while you are driving and you haven’t yet been able to pull over to remove it, you’re probably off the hook.

 

States Enact Modest to Hefty Fines

The New Jersey news website App.com recently shared an article reminding drivers that it’s illegal to drive with snow or ice on your car, and motorists who fail to remove snow or ice could face fines of $25 to $75. If ice or snow from your vehicle damages property or causes injury — for instance, damages another vehicle or causes an accident that hurts the driver or passenger — it could cost you $200 to $1,000 in New Jersey.

Similarly, in Pennsylvania, if flying ice or snow from your vehicle hits a car or pedestrian, you could be fined between $200 and $1,500. If no harm is done, but you are driving with snow or ice on your car in Pennsylvania, you could have to pay a $50 fine, according to statute Title 75 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

What other states have laws against driving with ice or snow on your vehicle?

States Where It’s Illegal to Drive with Snow or Ice On Your Car

Most Southern states (with the exception of Georgia) don’t have any statutes regarding ice missiles or snow on cars, largely because it doesn’t snow much in warmer climates. Many northeastern states and some Midwest states have laws.

The following 11 states have laws specifically restricting driving with snow on your vehicle:

  • Alaska

  • Connecticut

  • Georgia

  • Massachusetts

  • Michigan

  • New Hampshire

  • New Jersey

  • Pennsylvania

  • Rhode Island

  • Tennessee

  • Wisconsin

Bottom Line

Even in states where driving with snow or ice on your vehicle isn’t punishable by tickets or fines, it’s best to be safe and scrape the wintry stuff off your car before you leave.

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6 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

Those who drive with snow and ice , are they 

1, Lazy

2, stupid

3, entitled

I don’t park my daily in the garage so it’s always got snow and ice on it. When it finally melts off the roof, hood or soft tonneau cover is when it worries me especially when I’m on the freeway

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Add Ontario to that list.

Van body trailers are particularly bad.

Get parked at a dock for long enough to melt the snow, pool on the roof....then it turns into a block of ice.

 

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Yet so many dickheads in CT dont bother cleaning off their Cars or SUVs . 

I get a big box truck or trailer is hard without a ladder but a passenger car or suv should be no exception take the 10 min and clean most off . 

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Yeah I'm in one of those states where it's illegal..... But if it's fluffy snow I just go extra fast till it blows off:lmao:... Looks like a blizzard behind me.    It's when it starts to thaw and refreezes into chunks of ice that it's a danger then I will remove it.   Haven't been fined yet

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Just now, ViperGTS/Z1 said:

Yeah I'm in one of those states where it's illegal..... But if it's fluffy snow I just go extra fast till it blows off:lmao:... Looks like a blizzard behind me.    It's when it starts to thaw and refreezes into chunks of ice that it's a danger then I will remove it.   Haven't been fined yet

Id be giving you old  :finger2:

for fucking up my clean windshield :lol: 

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4 minutes ago, ViperGTS/Z1 said:

Yeah I'm in one of those states where it's illegal..... But if it's fluffy snow I just go extra fast till it blows off:lmao:... Looks like a blizzard behind me.    It's when it starts to thaw and refreezes into chunks of ice that it's a danger then I will remove it.   Haven't been fined yet

Same! :lol:

I try to keep mine inside most of the time though, but sometimes there's nothing you can do.

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Just now, EvilBird said:

:owned:

nothing you can do spoken like a true moron. 

Nothing you can do about it getting snowed on leaving it outside.

You're like a rabid dog trying so hard for the gotcha because I hurt your feelings a while back.

Like I said last night, let it go.

 

:bc:

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The fucktards that don’t fully clean/defrost their windshield are worse. Stupid cunts.  Staring out all wide eyed thru a little spot they scraped with their key chain or credit card. 

Edited by Shifty
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When I bought my Husqvarna 40v chainsaw the dealer was trying to sell me a leaf blower too. Said his wife uses it to clean her car off everytime it's needed and works awesome. I didn't bite then but grabbed a 20v Dewalt blower for the wife , we'll see how it works if it ever snows here.

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29 minutes ago, EvilBird said:

Id be giving you old  :finger2:

for fucking up my clean windshield :lol: 

Holy fuck do I use a ton of windshield washer fluid in the winter :lol:The amount of salt they dump on the roads here if they even think it’ll snow 

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2 minutes ago, Skidooski said:

Holy fuck do I use a ton of windshield washer fluid in the winter :lol:The amount of salt they dump on the roads here if they even think it’ll snow 

I cant remember what states it said use it, but some are using beet juice instead of salt.

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11 minutes ago, Steve753 said:

I cant remember what states it said use it, but some are using beet juice instead of salt.

Hey if it work why not I guess. Good thing about global warming is my truck is not getting coated over and over by salt mist if it’s not cold enough around here anymore 

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1 hour ago, Voodoo said:

Add Ontario to that list.

Van body trailers are particularly bad.

Get parked at a dock for long enough to melt the snow, pool on the roof....then it turns into a block of ice.

 

The wheelhouse people here are bad too, house sits on the lake for a month then head right down the road.

14 minutes ago, Steve753 said:

I cant remember what states it said use it, but some are using beet juice instead of salt.

They are using that here to pre treat.

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11 minutes ago, Skidooski said:

Hey if it work why not I guess. Good thing about global warming is my truck is not getting coated over and over by salt mist if it’s not cold enough around here anymore 

Its fucking ridiculous. The use a nasty brine here now. 

Flurries the other day.  flurries and my fucking town goes around and dumps this Blue Salt concoction down all over. 

Was 50+ degrees a day later.

Just wasting my tax money 

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