A vehicle makes its way along a snowy road at Summit Park, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. (Ravell Call, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Have you ever been driving down the highway when, out of nowhere, a massive clump of snow and ice hits your windshield? This situation many Utah drivers are far too familiar with could potentially be dangerous. Not brushing the snow off your car is a hazard on the highway, according to Sgt. Cameron Roden with Utah Highway Patrol.
Sgt. Roden joins Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News hosted by Jeff Caplan to discuss the dangers of not brushing the snow off the top of your car before getting behind the wheel.
Roden says there are no laws against drivers not brushing the snow off their cars. However, he tells Caplan that authorities may take action if circumstances call for it.
“So having snow on your car isn’t necessarily illegal,” he says. “If it’s (snow) is causing a potential hazard or danger to others, law enforcement could take enforcement action to try and mitigate those type of circumstances.”
Roden says, ultimately, safety should be the main focus.
“It (snow) can cause danger if it flies off and hits others or causes a visual obstruction to you or others, we just need to take those things into consideration,” he says.
Caplan continues by asking, “What can police actually do? Can they pull you over and say brush the car off? Can they send you up the river for 10 years?”
Roden says rather than sending you “up the river,” officers may pull a driver over to educate them on the dangers and potential hazards that they may not be aware of. They may also help drivers take the steps to avoiding future hazards.
“Ultimately if it’s something that is extreme, or extremely dangerous, they may take some type of enforcement action,” Roden says.
Caplan concludes saying, “So it’s pretty simple. Brush your roof off.”
Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News can be heard on weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.