By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-946300.mp3
Albany, NY – Brooklyn Senator Martin Malave Dilan, has introduced a bill that would require drivers to remove snow, sleet and hail from all vehicles. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
Dilan says that snow blowing off of cars can create hazards for other drivers and possible lead to crashes. More than three inches of snow on a truck or car would mean a ticket.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is opposed to such rules that permit police to pull over drivers whose vehicles are not cleared of snow and ice. A 2008 study by the nonprofit American Transportation Research Institute found that the deadliest accidents caused by airborne ice involved larger vehicles, notably trucks.
James Quinn is president of Cyclone Works in Canada - where they build snow-cleaning units for vehicles. Quinn feels that someday it will be the norm to find "snow cleaning" stations along highways. Dilan's bill imposes fines between $150 and $850 for most motorists, although truck drivers could end up paying as much as $1250. That bill is still in committee...