Law Would Require Cleaning Ice, Snow From Cars

The Associated Press ^ | September 15, 2005 | AP

[Westlander]

BOSTON -- It's cold, it's snowing, and there's ice and snow on the car. So you hop in and go without clearing off all the winter precipitation.

That might soon be against the law in Massachusetts.

The state Legislature is considering a bill that would mean fines of up to $500 and a six-month stay in jail.

The bill is designed to reduce the danger from chunks of snow and ice flying off car roofs or hoods.

If it passes, Massachusetts could become the first state to require snow- and ice-free cars.

[WKB]

"Just keep taking SHALLOW breaths and
DON'T PUSH ,honey. We can leave for the
hospital in about an hour."

[Alberta's Child]

Now that is a very good point. LOL.

[wtc911]

Not lunacy at all. Every once in a while during the winter you'll see some lazy bozo driving with zero lateral and rear visibility because of the snow and/or ice coating his windows. It's as dangerous to other drivers as driving with painted windows would be.

[wtc911]

In 1997 a co-worker was decapitated by a sheet of ice that flew off the top of the semi in front of him. He was on his way home from work. Killed instantly - closed coffin funeral.

[Cowman]

Do you really want to give the cops another arbitrary reason to give you a ticket?

[wtc911]

I challenge you to create a block of ice that weighs 50 lbs. and that can still "fly like a frisbee".

----------------------------------------------------

As I wrote in an earlier post one of those decapitated a co-worker.

[petitfour]

Maybe the federal government could chip in and help pay for the damage from the natural disaster caused ice chunks flying off the cars of lazy ne-er-do-wells.

[Trust but Verify]

I also saw a woman driving when the entire sheet of ice from her roof slid forward and she could see NOTHING.

If you set aside the danger of that, I'll bet it was funny. You know, like when someone falls or trips and does that windmill thing with their arms? You are praying they're not hurt because you are laughing so hard you might wet yourself.

[petitfour]

We once lived in an area of lots of snow and ice in the winter. I was pregnant. We had an Astro van. What a sight that would have been for me to be scraping off the roof of that thing. I think daughter would have just had to skip school.

[Cboldt]

what a bunch of iceholes!

How to catch a polar bear

• cut a hole in the ice
• open a can of peas, and spread them near the hole in the ice
• when a polar bear comes to take a pea, kick him in the icehole

[Woodman]

"In winter, the "rules" change...." Obviously you have never driven in New Jersey Dec - Feb.

[verity]

You live in a Southern State.

[verity]

You are only tailgating dog sleds. :-)

[ItsOurTimeNow]

The big rigs are the worst for this. I wonder if they'll be held just as culpable as Mrs. Jones in her mini-van.

Are state vehicles exempt from this? I can almost bet that they will be.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

RI Ping!

Anyone who's driven on I-95 after a bad ice storm might think this is a good idea!

IMO - this is not an action of the Nanny State, it's a way of encouraging people to be courteous (common courtesy - what a concept!). This isn't any different than fines for littering.

[MCCRon58]

So, I guess we shut down all truck traffic north of the Mason-Dixon line after, say thanksgiving? Or, are we, in a quest to live an entirely hazard free life, to legislate that snow/ice cannot accumulate on top of any truck or bus?

What do you expect drivers to do, climb on top of their rigs and shovel the danged things off? (Does this mean I get to claim workers comp when I fall through the sheet metal roof?) I always thought that northerners were a hardy, thoughtful lot, who understood that added hazards of winter driving and acted accordingly.


What a pitty that I find out there are whiners, and other "THERE OUGHTTA BE A LAW!!" types who hoist the nanny-government flag when it is THEIR ox being gored.

(Note, this is not being directed at you, specifically, but at those who feel this law is in any way justified.)

[MCCRon58]

Sounds good to me. That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger

[MCCRon58]

Really? Ive never run across it.

And remember, a 13'7" overpass cleans off the top of a 13'6" truck quite nicely, thank-you.

[Aquinasfan]

Liberal Lunacy.

You might think differently if a 1' x 1' frozen block of snow hit your windshield while you were travelling 70 mph on the Pike. It happens pretty regularly.

And stay away from tractor trailers. You don't want to be around one when the 2" snow-pack on the roof "explodes."

[MCCRon58]

""""They should do something----it's a hazard as I said in my previous post""""

Many things are hazards. That's why you have to use you God given native intelligence in EVERYTHING you do. To turn to nanny state-ism to protect you from that which you should be able to handle on your own proves the truth of Ben Franklin. (remember the old saw about having freedom, or security, but not having both?)

I remember growing up, my local paper used to run a daily feature about "Useless facts you never needed to know." One that always stuck with me was that over 50 serious traffic accidents a year are directly attributable to the improper installation of hubcaps..

Whats next, mandate mags???