People
D.C. might become first to require clearing of ice from vehicles
By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
February 2, 2009
It’s a classic commuter sport of winter, for drivers and pedestrians: dodging an airborne sheet of ice unleashed from a moving vehicle whose owner left the driveway or parking lot without bothering to sweep the roof.
There are no U.S. jurisdictions that require car and truck owners to clear their vehicles of snow and ice before driving. Ward 5 D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. will propose Tuesday that the District become the first.
“My concern is really is there an inherent hazard, when you see people pull out with huge sheets of ice on top of their cars where they haven’t taken time to properly prepare their vehicle for driving,” Thomas told The Examiner. “You’re behind people, trucks, and sheets of ice come flying at you. It’s something that could be avoided just by people taking a little more time and brushing their vehicle with a broom.”
Thomas said the emergency bill would likely include the option for ticketed drivers of paying a fine or taking a traffic safety course. If the emergency measure passes, it will take effect immediately, perhaps just in time for a Tuesday snow, and remain in place for 120 days.
“If we do it as regular legislation, we miss this season,” Thomas said.
The New Jersey Legislature is considering a similar bill that includes fines of $25 to $75 for violators who fail to clear their vehicles after a snow storm. The assembly’s transportation committee released the legislation last week over the vociferous objections of that state’s trucking industry.
“There is no pre-emptive snow removal or ice removal law in the country, at a state level,” said John Townsend, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Officers in most states can pull vehicles over if the windshield is not clear. But I would have assumed there was a law everywhere, in every town and every municipality. That’s strange to me.”
Research performed recently for the Arlington-based American Trucking Association concluded that truckers face inherent dangers clearing ice from the tops of trailers, as well as a lack of efficient equipment to get the job done. The association in December called for a comprehensive solution to the snow and ice problem, including education and “studies of feasibility of snow removal devices at weigh stations and ports of entry.”
In Maryland, it’s a right of drivers to file a claim with their insurance company if they are struck by flying frozen stuff, said State Police Sgt. Arthur Betts. The trick, he said, is getting the license plate of the offending vehicle.
There are no U.S. jurisdictions that require car and truck owners to clear their vehicles of snow and ice before driving. Ward 5 D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. will propose Tuesday that the District become the first.
“My concern is really is there an inherent hazard, when you see people pull out with huge sheets of ice on top of their cars where they haven’t taken time to properly prepare their vehicle for driving,” Thomas told The Examiner. “You’re behind people, trucks, and sheets of ice come flying at you. It’s something that could be avoided just by people taking a little more time and brushing their vehicle with a broom.”
Thomas said the emergency bill would likely include the option for ticketed drivers of paying a fine or taking a traffic safety course. If the emergency measure passes, it will take effect immediately, perhaps just in time for a Tuesday snow, and remain in place for 120 days.
“If we do it as regular legislation, we miss this season,” Thomas said.
The New Jersey Legislature is considering a similar bill that includes fines of $25 to $75 for violators who fail to clear their vehicles after a snow storm. The assembly’s transportation committee released the legislation last week over the vociferous objections of that state’s trucking industry.
“There is no pre-emptive snow removal or ice removal law in the country, at a state level,” said John Townsend, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Officers in most states can pull vehicles over if the windshield is not clear. But I would have assumed there was a law everywhere, in every town and every municipality. That’s strange to me.”
Research performed recently for the Arlington-based American Trucking Association concluded that truckers face inherent dangers clearing ice from the tops of trailers, as well as a lack of efficient equipment to get the job done. The association in December called for a comprehensive solution to the snow and ice problem, including education and “studies of feasibility of snow removal devices at weigh stations and ports of entry.”
In Maryland, it’s a right of drivers to file a claim with their insurance company if they are struck by flying frozen stuff, said State Police Sgt. Arthur Betts. The trick, he said, is getting the license plate of the offending vehicle.
