No law against failure to completely clear snow from a vehicle
Feb 7, 2017, 12:23 PM | Updated: 2:14 pm
As long as your vehicle's windows are clear, there's no law in Washington that says you have to clear snow off a vehicle before driving. (MyNorthwest)
(MyNorthwest)
There’s no law in Washington state that requires drivers to clear snow from their vehicles.
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The storm that left Western Washington covered in snow Monday morning left several drivers questioning whether they or others should be on the road before completely clearing their vehicles. As one KIRO Radio listener pointed out, failure to do so in other states can result in a fine.
Washington State Trooper Rick Johnson says there is no specific law against clearing a vehicle completely of snow before hitting the road.
“This question has come up several times in the past couple days,” Trooper Johnson wrote to KIRO Radio. “As you stated, there is no RCW that says ‘clear snow’ off your vehicle prior to driving.”
The only law that comes close to addressing the issue is that of not securing a load. However, as Trooper Johnson says, that would be a “bit odd.”
Though there is no law that holds drivers liable for not brushing the snow off their vehicle, Johnson says “We just stress to drivers to clear their cars if at all possible.”
“I am not sure if this has ever been talked about as far as addressing this with an RCW,” he continued.
Of course, drivers can be fined for not properly clearing their windshields driving.
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