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Proposed Law: Clear Off Or Pay Up

It happens on the highways around here after most snowstorms: chunks of snow and ice flying off trucks in front of us. Some lawmakers in Harrisburg are pushing ...
snow vehicles

It happens on the highways around here after most snowstorms: chunks of snow and ice flying off trucks in front of us.

Some lawmakers in Harrisburg are pushing to make clearing those tractor trailers of snow a requirement, with fines for those who don't do it.

Most drivers in our area have experienced snow and ice flying off a tractor trailer in front of them.

One of our photographers captured it on Interstate 80 recently, and we spotted ice flying off this truck on Interstate 81 last week.

"Definitely, it's dangerous when you're driving along and a big chunk of snow or ice comes flying at you and people start swerving."

Doug Blessing of Tannersville is on the road all the time for work. He's had ice hit his car several times.

"I guess I always wondered whether it was a law or not. I wasn't sure."

As long as you can safely see to drive, there's no law requiring you to clear snow off your vehicle in Pennsylvania. There is a fine if ice falling from a car or truck causes death or serious bodily injury. The proposed law would increase that fine and add a fine for truckers who don't make an effort to clear the snow, and not just let the wind blow it all off.

"It can definitely obstruct the view of the person behind you and that can lead to an accident, so why not? I think it's a good idea, it just takes an extra five minutes," said Shannon Adams of Pittsburgh.

Truck drivers we talked with say they understand drivers' frustrations with ice and snow flying off their trailers, but they say it's not easy for them to get up there and clear the snow.

"I can't get it, and you have guys older than me, they can't get up there," said driver Chris Guzman

Guzman, from Washington state, says he usually lets the wind clear his truck, but understands that can be tough for car drivers.

"Some people, they're not on the road as much as we are, so they don't know how to react to that snow."

The law requiring truckers to clear the snow or face a fine is just a proposal right now. It has failed in the past.

But the senator from the Lehigh Valley introducing it thinks it has a better chance this time.

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