After a snowstorm, clearing the snow from your vehicle before heading out on the road is “snow” joke. Removing ice and snow from your vehicle is necessary to keep you, pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists safe; here’s why:
Removing snow from your vehicle improves visibility
The snow left on your car eventually will come off – and if you are driving down the highway with a foot of snow on the roof, chances are, that’s when the snow will come flying off. This snow may then land on the windshield of the vehicle behind you. This will cause the driver to not be able to see the road, to become distracted, and unable to see or focus on what is happening around them. This can result in an accident to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Removing snow from your vehicle prevents needless damages and injuries
Snow and ice from a moving vehicle can result in scratched paint, cracked or broken windshields, and structural damage to a vehicle’s exterior. Drivers have also been to known to swerve in an attempt to avoid the snow or ice coming at them, and depending what is in the lane next to them, could cause an accident. Pedestrians and cyclists are not immune to being hurt from flying snow and ice either. This debris can hit them at any time with varying results of injury, including death.
Removing snow from your vehicle is the law
It may seem like common sense to clean your car of ice and snow before you leave, but did you know it is also the law to do so? Police officers are looking out for drivers who fail to remove the remains of a winter storm from their vehicles and when stopped, offenders can face penalties from warnings to receiving significant fines and losing demerit points. The police will also have drivers remove this debris from their cars after being pulled over.
Taking the time to clean all the snow and ice from your vehicle not only makes sense, it also prevents accidents, damages, and injuries to those on and off the road. Getting rid of the snow and ice from your car may add a few extra minutes to your daily routine, but it can keep everyone safer during the winter, both on and off the roads.
Sources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/cars-in-ice-1.5016465
https://driving.ca/auto-news/news/three-reasons-you-should-really-clear-that-snow
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