Snow and ice clearance a legal issue for drivers of used cars in New Jersey

Using a scraper to get the previous night’s snow and ice off a car may seem like a hassle for owners of used cars in New Jersey, but a recently signed law will make it a ticketable offense to go without the cleaning.

Governor Jon Corzine recently signed into law a bill that requires drivers to make a “reasonable effort” to remove snow and ice from their vehicles or else face fines of between $25 and $75 dollars, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. Although the law is not enforceable until next year, police in New Jersey as well as other states are already citing drivers using “obstructed vision” statutes.

“We need [the law to affect trucks] because one inch of snow or ice coming off the back of a tractor-trailer packs with it the equivalent force of almost a ton,” State Assemblyman John Wisniewski told the newspaper. He added that the impact can damage windshields.

So-called “peephole driving,” where motorists operating used cars in New Jersey and other states, is difficult to measure in terms of the numbers of accidents caused, but law enforcement agencies throughout the Snow Belt are planning to cite drivers for the practice, reports USA Today.