Clear Your Car From Snow In New York, Or Get A Ticket

If you've ever followed a car that had piles of snow on it before, you understand why this new amendment is so important.

In New York State, if you don't clear your car of snow before you drive it, you could get fined up to $850.

Yup...it's a pretty hefty fine for a couple minutes of work, but it could save someone else a lot of trouble.  Sure, the snow that's piled a foot high on the roof of your car might not cause you any problems, but it's the drivers around you that suffer when it comes flying towards their car from yours.

Now, there is an amendment that says you must clear all the snow and ice off your entire vehicle before driving it. Yes, even that hard to reach spot on the roof and inside the bed of your pickup.

Here's what it says:

S 1229-E. CLEARANCE OF SNOW, SLEET, AND HAIL.
1. NO PERSON SHALL OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE ON A PUBLIC STREET OR HIGHWAY WHILE THERE IS AN ACCUMULATION OF SNOW, SLEET, OR HAIL ON THE ROOF OR CARGO BED SURFACES THEREOF, WHETHER OF ANY OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT, TRAILER, OR OTHER CARGO COMPARTMENT IN EXCESS OF THREE INCHES.
2. THE REMOVAL OF ACCUMULATED SNOW, SLEET, OR HAIL REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY DURING THE FALLING OF SNOW, SLEET, OR HAIL OR WITHIN THREE HOURS AFTER THE CESSATION OF THE FALLINGTHEREOF.
3. (A) THE OPERATOR OF A NON-COMMERCIAL VEHICLE IN VIOLATION OF THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, EXCLUDING A DISABLED OPERATOR, SHALL BE
SUBJECT TO A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS NOR MORE THAN EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.

If you are one of the lucky ones to get this fine, the money would go to the "snow and ice removal fund," the DOT, and the New York State Thruway Authority.