For safety, scrape off vehicles
A motorist shows damage after his vehicle was hit by ice that flew off a tractor-trailer on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway on Jan. 11, 1999. Credit: Manny Patino
The arrival of a snowstorm alone ought to be enough to remind drivers that it's only common courtesy to scrape ice and snow from their vehicles, to protect other drivers. But too many forget to take this precaution, and chunks fly off their cars and trucks and hit others at high speeds.
Now, in Suffolk County, there's a proposal to use the force of law to remind people. It's too bad it needs a law, but this idea won't hurt anyone except the inconsiderate and the lazy.
As often happens with lawmakers, it was personal experience, swerving several times in one day to dodge flying ice and snow, that moved Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) to sponsor legislation.
His bill would set a $75 fine for those who drive without removing snow and ice. If that negligence hurts someone, fines would run from $200 to $1,000 for cars and $500 to $1,500 for commercial vehicles. (A 2008 study found that large trucks cause the worst accidents.)
Enforcement won't be easy, but adding the threat of fines, with flashing reminders on overhead signs on main roads, should help.
Cooper's research showed that only a few states, including Connecticut and New Jersey, had laws about this. His county legislation on cell-phone use - hands-free only while driving - later became state law as well. If his approach on flying ice passes here, it could start a statewide snowball rolling. hN
