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Main Page Snow covered vehicles!!!
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: TPRSERG

Noticed a message board on 91 today saying something about clearing the snow off your vehicle or receive a $200 fine-Heavily Enforced??? I'm guessing Mass Highway thinks we can cite for Unsecured Load if snow flies off a vehicle. I thought that was a no-go. I'll just keep writing gigs for snow covered license plates, until we get a snow removal law.

Posted by: Deuce

Thought TT's had to remove snow from the tops of their trailers?

Posted by: resqjyw0

Story Published: Dec 18, 2007 at 7:36 PM EST
Story Updated: Dec 18, 2007 at 8:06 PM EST

By Lesley Tanner

Watch The Story

It happens with almost no notice, chunks of ice and snow come flying off of tractor trailers onto the highway, or worse another car.

"I had a piece of ice come off my roof and it cracked another drivers windshield," says truck driver Roger Leppala.

Many motorists think the truck drivers should take responsibility for their rigs and clean off the debris before they drive. But climbing on top of these trailers poses a risk of its own.

"There's no way to get up there, it's just not safe at all for someone to climb on top of these trailers," says driver Kevin Langlais.

Even stepping onto a big rig just to get in the driver's seat is difficult, and drivers say getting onto the roof to clear snow and ice would be near impossible.

"You'd have to have some sort of scaffolding to get up there," says Langlais.

"My trailer has a Plexiglas roof and even if I was to climb on top of it I would probably fall through," says Leppala.

And the law is on their side. The Mass Pike is the only highway that has a special regulation requiring drivers to clear debris, but police say it is almost impossible to enforce.

"Where do you draw the line," says Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Alan Joubert. "When a car or truck is driving during a snow storm there is snow falling off of it, everyone is subject to the same problem."

But drivers and police agree there is a simple way to stay safe.

"Just be aware that stuff may be falling off of the tops and the sides," says Leppala.

"Create a distance either by slowing down or safely passing them and staying away from it," says Sergeant Joubert.

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/12611341.html

Another related thread:
http://www.masscops.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7170

Posted by: MARINECOP

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

Thought TT's had to remove snow from the tops of their trailers?

Give the TT drivers a break. They bust their ass working long hours on a tight schedule. Have you ever tried to climb on top of a tralier and remove snow? It is tough and dangerous, especially for the owner operators because they would not be covered through work mans comp if they got injured. When I got out of the Corps in 94 I drove TT's for a living and the job is not that easy. Plus you don't make that much money, but almost everything we buy and need is brought to us by the hard working truck drivers in this country just trying to earn a living. Please don't bust balls over a little bit of snow on top of a trailer they have enough problems.

Posted by: MSP75

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARINECOP

I didn't know the USMC issued excuses. What is the maximum effective range of one?

Posted by: WaterPistola

Zing

Posted by: Wolfman

The snow isn't bad, however I dislike when a 5 foot by 3 foot by 2 inch chunk of ice flies off a trailer and lands on my windshield followed by two more just like it.
Thing is, these things fly off to the sides as well so if you're in an adjacent lane it will still get you.

Posted by: Kilvinsky

on days where lots of crap is being thrown UP on your windshield, some fluffly snow coming DOWN from a tt helps clean the windshield without using up your washer fluid.

Ice, yes, ice sucks.

Posted by: Edmizer1

Is there any kind of CMR or something for police vehicles that don't clear snow off of their vehicles? I saw a major city cruiser yesterday with about a foot of snow on its roof and completely around the light bar. It was going to a call and you could just barely see the lights flashing through the snow. It was about three days since the snow had stopped. It looked ridiculous.

Posted by: resqjyw0

By Norman Miller/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Thu Dec 20, 2007, 12:12 AM EST

Photo by Ken McGagh/Daily News staff
A car with plenty of snow remaining from the weekend storm travels on Rte. 126 in Framingham

Photo by Ken McGagh/Daily News staff
Snow from the weekend storm slides from the roof to the windshield of this car as it travels on Route 9 in Framingham Wednesday

Sometimes they look like moving igloos but police say cars and trucks with large piles of snow left on the top of their roofs for several days are dangerous.

Although people cannot be cited specifically for not removing a snow cap from the tops of their vehicles, authorities say drivers can still be cited for various infractions. And area police said even if there is no legal reason to clean off the car, it is a safety issue.

"The snow will come off and you never know where it is going to land," said Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Mike Rafferty. "We've all been struck by other people's snow. It causes a lot of crashes. We've had several lately."

Police in MetroWest agree.

"When the heat from the interior of the car warms up it melts the snow on the roof and it slides off," said Framingham Police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany. "It could cause problems for the drivers behind it."

Natick Police spokesman Lt. Brian Grassey said, "Obviously, it is a concern because it's a safety issue."

Rafferty said drivers can be cited for having an uncovered, spillable load.

He said the snow would be considered on par with a truck carrying uncovered sand or gravel. It would be a $200 citation.

Also, if the snow were to fall from the roof over the windshield, a driver could receive a $50 impeded operation citation, Rafferty said.

Snow slamming into another vehicle, damaging it, or causing a crash, can increase from a civil infraction to a criminal charge.

"It could rise to the level of criminal negligence if it flew through another vehicle's windows or hit a pedestrian," said Framingham Police Lt. Stephen Cronin. "Snow and ice become a threat to other vehicles."

In Framingham, drivers are usually warned if they are pulled over with too much snow on their car roofs, Cronin said.

State police have discretion about what type, if any, tickets they issue in regard to snow flying off a roof, Rafferty said.

For auto glass businesses, flying snow helps contribute to the busiest time of the year, said Beth Rogers, a customer service representative at Triumph Auto Glass in Framingham.

"It's typical of any winter," she said. "It happens every winter."

Most damaged windows are usually cracks, but sometimes, when ice or snow comes flying off a tractor-trailer and hits a car, it can shatter the whole window.

A bigger culprit of broken windows is actually sanders, Rogers said. She said cars parked on the side of the road during snowstorms often have their side windows cracked by pieces of gravel flying from passing sanders.

"It's a good time for business," said Rogers. "We love it when it snows."

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/homepage/x72368241

Posted by: 5-0

Was that last shot from the cleavage cam?

Posted by: Tuna

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5-0

Was that last shot from the cleavage cam?

Excellent powers of observation,good crime scene detection=D>

Posted by: rg1283

Of course she isn't wearing a seatbelt, but hey its always fun to end up in the Trauma Room, and blame you hitting the windshield on everybody else.

Posted by: Deuce

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARINECOP

Calm down it was just a question. Like Wolfie I'm more concerned w/ the chunk of ice coming off and slamming into a windshield.

As far as giving em a break, I will, as soon as the dumbasses stop taking down poles and getting stuck under railway bridges...

Posted by: kwflatbed

Just remember there are dumbasses in every job.

Posted by: Kilvinsky

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwflatbed

Just remember there are dumbasses in every job.

I'm sorry I cannot believe that for a seco...

no, you're right, there are.

I spoke to a guy this very morning who pulled into a parking lot where I was working a detail and his SIDE and REAR windows were covered in snow. He was dropping his kid off at Day Care. Hmmm, can you say NEGLECT?

I walked over and politely (if anyone from my department gets a complaint and makes me write an e-mail and have a meeting with the Captain-I WAS POLITE!!!!!) mentioned that he wasn't going to leave the lot without clearing off his windows. He told me some story about going to Maine and dropping his sleeping child off and, whatever. He came back out and cleared off the windows. I'm just in awe of a dope who would drive his child ANYWHERE with the windows covered.

Oh, he did have a space cleared so he could see the side mirrors.

Chowderhead.

Posted by: MSP75

"But it snowed a couple of days ago!"

Posted by: fscpd907

Sorry double post

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