Keller @ Large: Clear Snow Off Car Or Get A Ticket

BOSTON (CBS) – Signs along highways warn drivers to clean off their vehicles, but as Jon Keller found out, it's something many people ignore.

State highway chief Frank Depaola is fed up with the far too common practice of not bothering to remove the snow and ice from vehicles. "I was driving on the Expressway this morning and I was a couple of cars behind a box truck, and frozen snow was coming off the roof," DePaola said.

It's a common cause of wintertime accidents despite a steady diet of State Police warnings and tickets that can range up to $200.

Troopers say they have heard every excuse. "I have to get to work, I forgot, I didn't notice," State Police Lt. Dan Richard says. "But it really revolves around people not taking it seriously and foreseeing the seriousness of the problem."

Despite warm temperatures Wednesday afternoon, Keller found several drivers breaking the law.

"Please, take into consideration and be courteous to the other drivers around you and clear the snow off the roofs of your vehicles before you head out," DePaola said.

Or else, state officials say, get ready to see more stops and fines.

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