PA Senator Pushes to Protect Against Vehicle Dangers
27 December 2005
Senator Lisa Boscola has been working hard for years to enact legislation that would give Pennsylvania law enforcement the authority to fine vehicle drivers for failing to clear ice and snow from their vehicles before driving. The purpose of this vehicle safety legislation is to prevent what happened to Christine Lambert from happening again. One Christmas Day, 51-year-old Lambert was killed in a vehicle accident when a chuck of ice flew off a tractor-trailer’s roof into her family’s vehicle.
According to Boscola, snow and ice pose a serious threat to vehicle drivers, “a serious threat when it’s dislodged from a moving vehicle,” she says, “It can strike a vehicle causing the driver to lose control.” She also notes that this vehicle safety hazard can harm pedestrians who are stuck by flying ice and snow from commercial and non-commercial vehicles.
The proposed Pennsylvania vehicle safety legislation would allow law enforcement officials to serve truck or auto drivers with a 35 to 75 dollar fine for each offense. Commercial vehicle drivers could be fined up to $1,000 for failing to clear the ice and snow from their vehicles prior to driving. If dislodged ice or snow causes personal injury or property damage, the negligent driver could be fined up to $1,500.
Ideally, Boscola hopes this vehicle safety legislation would increase driver’s awareness of the dangers posed by dislodged snow and ice from a moving vehicle. Neither truck drivers nor car drivers want to be fined for this offense. Hitting the pocketbook is sometimes the best way to encourage people to practice safe driving to avoid car accidents, personal injury, and vehicle damage.
