Drivers Must Clear Snow From Cars or Face Fines

As winter arrives, officials are ramping up efforts to keep road conditions safe, and soon Connecticut drivers will face fines if they fail to clear snow and ice from their cars.

"I saw a tractor trailer with ice on top out of Canada," said Davi Pedro, a driver with Chips Transport. "It came out and dumped on top of another small car."

It can be dangerous when snow on car roofs comes loose on the highway, falling in chunks and blinding drivers in its wake.

"It will dump on other cars and break windshields and kill people. I've seen that happen," said Pedro. "I have a brush in the truck, and I have to clean [the truck] when I come in in the morning and then on the road if I get snow, I've got to clean up."

Starting Dec. 31, Connecticut drivers must remove snow and ice from their vehicles or risk facing fines of at least $75.

If the ice or snow flies off onto the road and causes injury or property damage, the driver of a noncommercial vehicle could be charged up to $1,000 per incident. Commercial drivers could be charged up to $1,250.

Many say they're glad the law is a good one because any snow on the road can cause trouble.

"If I don't take the snow off the hood of my car it could come down into the windshield while I'm driving on the highway. And if I can't see for just one split second, that could take somebody's life," said Taekwon Taylor of New Haven.

Parked vehicles are exempt, as are vehicles that accumulate snow and ice when the weather starts while it's already on the road.

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