This past Saturday, much of New England including Berkshire County received another blast of wind and snow. For Berkshire County residents, the amount of snow wasn't as bad as it could have been especially with what the forecast predicted. I didn't even need to snow blow my driveway as simply shoveling it did the trick. Thank heavens Berkshire County didn't get the full effect of the predicted bomb cyclone.

When driving to and from work, I still see Berkshire County motorists who haven't completely cleaned off their vehicles. There's snow and ice covering some of the windows and many vehicles' roofs haven't been cleared. I remember one time when I was driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike, I saw a sheet of ice fly off of a vehicle and nearly hit mine. I swerved to avoid being struck. Talk about a close call.

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A consequence of not clearing a vehicle of snow and ice was shared by Dean Weymouth, operator of Capeway Towing which is located in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.  A couple of weeks ago his windshield was smashed by a chunk of ice that flew off of a vehicle from an oncoming motorist. Dean shared his dashcam video on Facebook, check it out below:

According to our Townsquare sister station, Dean only had minor cuts and bruises. Good thing as this situation could have been a whole lot worse.

Is it Illegal in Massachusetts Not to Clear Your Vehicle from Snow and Ice? 

While there is no official law stating that drivers have to remove ice and snow from their vehicles, Mass.gov states on their website that police can use a couple of statutes to enforce snow-clearing. Officers can issue a $40 fine for impeded operation if a driver has obstructed windows and a $200 fine for driving with an unsecured load, which can include heavy sheets of snow or ice on a car's roof.

So, when the next snowstorm occurs, think about your fellow motorists' safety and well-being. Make sure you clear snow and ice from your vehicle before leaving the driveway.

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