New PA BS law, snow on roof

[Sled Puller]

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/08/874.asp





THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL No. 902 Session of 2005

INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, C. WILLIAMS, FONTANA, COSTA, RAFFERTY AND EARLL, OCTOBER 5, 2005



AN ACT



Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for the removal of snow and ice from certain vehicles.



The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:



§ 3720. Snow and ice removal.

(a) General rule. --Any driver of a motor vehicle being operated on any street or highway of this Commonwealth shall have an affirmative duty to make all reasonable efforts to remove all accumulated ice or snow from the motor vehicle, including the hood, trunk and roof of the motor vehicle. Any driver of a motor vehicle who violates this section may be stopped on a street or highway by a law enforcement officer if the law enforcement officer believes the accumulated ice or snow may pose a threat to persons or property. Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $75 for each offense regardless of whether any snow or ice is dislodged from the vehicle.

(b) Dislodged snow and ice. --When snow or ice is dislodged from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or pedestrian causing injury or property damage, the following penalties shall apply:

(1) The operator of a noncommercial motor vehicle shall be subject to a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $1,000 for each offense.

(2) The operator of a commercial motor vehicle shall be subject to a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,500 for each offense.

(c) Exception. --This section shall not apply to any driver of a motor vehicle operated during a snow or ice storm that began and continued for the duration of the motor vehicle's operation or to any operator of a motor vehicle while it is parked.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.







HOW CAN A SEMI DRIVER CLEAN SNOW OFF HIS ROOF???????

 

[MMeier]

Long handled broom?

 

[bmoeller]

Broom won't do any good from the ground. They sure h*** won't be climbing on top of a van trailer to clean it off. No one will carry a ladder. Good way to get hurt. Sure, I pull a bullrack and can climb up the side of it, but I still sure wouldn't want to get on top of the wagon. Good way to fall off.

c) Exception. --This section shall not apply to any driver of a motor vehicle operated during a snow or ice storm that began and continued for the duration of the motor vehicle's operation or to any operator of a motor vehicle while it is parked

*** does that mean? Particularlly in the last part at the end? Isn't that everybody?

 

[Bill Lins]

"*** does that mean? Particularlly in the last part at the end? Isn't that everybody?"



It means that, as long as the vehicle is not moving, you can have as much snow on it as you want. You only have to clean it off before actually operating it on a public road.

 

[TowPro]

the law makes sense to me (maybe because I live in PA )



More then once I am driving down the highway (which is now clear) at highway speeds, and a big chunk of ice/snow blows off the truck/car in front of me. In the time it takes to turn on the wipers so you can see again, you have already covered 100' of road.



Plus a chunk fell off a truck last year in PA and Killed someone behind them



I think this law also includes that you have to clear ALL OF YOUR GLASS before driving. I have had people pull out in front of me because they did'nt have time to clear the side window. They just took a gamble and pulled out hoping nobody was coming.



We also just got a new rule where your headlights have to be on when you wipers are on (again, that makes sense)

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I always used to leave a little bit of snow on the roof of every vehicle I drove back in MA. When people would tailgate me for no reason - I'd hit the roof hard with my fist and they'd get a whitewash. :-laf



My brother used to throw pocket change out the t-roof of his Z28 at tailgaters. Money well spent.



Here in WI, I don't have to do any of that stuff - people have better driving manners out here.



Later,



Matt

 

[fkovalski]

the law makes sense to me ...

I agree with you!



I would also add to the written law to include the clearing of snow and ice from headlights!



I cannot tell you how many times that I see idiots driving cars that essentially have "shelves" in from of their lights to which inches of snow will collect diffusing any light!!!.



These lazy buffoons usually also have windshield cleared via the perfect path of the windield wipers. They are so fricken lazy to even clear the windshield! Just get in, start and drive!

 

[rbattelle]

I also think the law makes good sense. I've heard of people being hurt from snow flying off the roof of the vehicle in front of them.



Ryan

 

[nickleinonen]

it is a nice thought, but dodge will need to improve their paint for this to work eh. . you look at it and it scratches. . now they need us to brush it??



i brush off the windshield and side windows on the cab plus the tail and head lights. windows on the cap, roof & hood do not get brushed down

 

[TboneMan]

I think New York has had a law like this on the books for 3 or 4 years now.

 

[MLee]

Ice and snow removal???

I drove for 33 years and always feared someone behind me might have a problem with the ice coming off the roof and causing injury. But most people when they seen this ice coming off would back off to about 200', by the time a truck has traveled this far the ice usually will hit the ground. Point is, don't tail gate a tall trailer. I think the ATA will get involved with this law proposal. At the present time with out risking injury I know of no way to fully remove the snow and ice of the roof a semi trailer in the winter. I guess the driver can try doing donuts in the yard before he leaves to see if the ice will come off.

As for clearing snow off your car or truck, the snow blowing off the hood, might be a ticket getter,, and you might be involved in a crash. My buddy was, when he was lazy and did not clear the snow off his hood. taught me a lesson. So now I clean mine spotless.

Marv.

 

[2broke2smoke]

just what the world needs ... a few more laws ...



have to protect all the sheeple from themselves ...



don't you pensy guys have to remove your hitches too?



pretty soon you won't be able to drive your trucks unless you're hauling something ...



after all you are more of a danger to society in a big 8k lb truck than you would be in a yugo ...

 

[mcoleman]

just what the world needs ... a few more laws ...



have to protect all the sheeple from themselves ...



don't you pensy guys have to remove your hitches too?



pretty soon you won't be able to drive your trucks unless you're hauling something ...



after all you are more of a danger to society in a big 8k lb truck than you would be in a yugo ...

Bingo. A few more laws and then a few more tax dollars to support the laws. Pretty soon people won't even have a take home pay check. Just what little the gov decides you need.

 

[fkovalski]

I am all for less laws.



However, this is an example of not restricting one's freedoms via new laws, but rather having witten consequences on the books in the event of wrong doing. The case example is to provde for the fines for owners/ drivers not taking the responsibility of maintaining a safe vehicle on public roads.



Snow and ice being discharged from a moving vehicle is akin to not having cargo safely secured on one's truck. Would those who disagree with the new laws be OK with a piece of cargo material damaging your truck while in transit? I seriously doubt it. Snow and Ice can be looked at in the same fasion.

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Picture this, 18-24 inches of snow, you spent 10 minutes cleaning the snow off of your pick up, you stop at the store in the morning on the way to work, some fat welfare pig pulls in with her hyundia with what basically amounts to a tunnel through the snow on her hood so she could get there to buy her smokes and lottery tickets. If she had a 12x12 line of sight I would be surprised. When she left she just backed up slowly with zero visibility.



I agree, just what we need, another law, but it's stupid idiots like this lady that require laws like that.

 

[Sled Puller]

No matter how many laws sound like a good idea to a few of you, you cannot make the world IDIOT proof!!!!



My question is this:



You are a semi driver with a tall box trailer, during your required 36 hours of sleep by law, before you can drive again for 15 minutes. It snows over night.



How is the driver supposed to clean off his roof? Carry a ladder, and mover it about 20 times per side?



Is this a new business? Truck wash/ roof cleaners? Does the Democrat women who wrote the law own stock in truck roof cleaners?



As far as making a law about glass being clean, in PA they can already pull you over for fuzzy dice impeding your vision hanging on the rearview. There is plenty of motor vehicle laws that gives police the right to pull someone over for alck of vision. No new laws needed.

 

[fkovalski]

No matter how many laws sound like a good idea to a few of you, you cannot make the world IDIOT proof!!!!... .

Agreed! But- I do not believe that this law is for authorities stopping "idiots" with snow on thier vehicle just for the sake of it. It is going to be on the books to penalize those who do not operate a safe vehicle should something happen!



Ido not see a new fleet of snow police being hired just to go out with a tape measure to check folks' cars.

 

[TowPro]

My question is this:



You are a semi driver with a tall box trailer, during your required 36 hours of sleep by law, before you can drive again for 15 minutes. It snows over night.



How is the driver supposed to clean off his roof? Carry a ladder, and mover it about 20 times per side?

I guess they are. Picture this, your wife is in her car, following a truck 6 car lengths behind at 55mph. I big chunk of ice blows up and off the truck roof, crashing through your wife's windshield, Killing her instantly.



this is a true scenario that caused the law.



It was not fresh snow, it was snow that sat on the roof, melted, froze, etc and turned into ice.

 

[Sled Puller]

Yes, Tow Pro, I know that. I'm sorry, too bad, freak accident.



She shouldn't have been following so close. Does the victim EVER have to take a little responsibility for things?



Its a knee jerk reaction to a terrible freak accident by a liberal politcina who is USING a tragic accident to get VOTES, and you are following right along behind her waving the, "PUBLIC SAFETY FLAG"!!!!!! WAVE WAVE WAVE!!!



We lose more rights protecting the children than the Patriot Act could ever dream of stepping on.

 

[fkovalski]

... freak accident...

SP- Would you consider an accident as a result of un- secured cargo a "freak accident"? That is what snow and ice from any vehicle is.



If there were a way to fine truckers whose re-treads that come flying off I would be all for that too! Same for trucks whose gravel comes flying out of dump beds ... . yea, they say to stay back 5,000 feet (sic) but all vehicles should be responsible for ANY item that comes off of it. If that means covering dump trucks securly (what a novel idea), tying down materials or sweeping off snow, then so be it.



I would think that responsible drivers would do this on there on accord. But, as you state (to which I agree) there are idiots out there and it is not exclusive to "welfare Hundai drivers. " It could very well include the decked out Peterbilt driver!