HIKIND URGES STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF SNOW REMOVAL FROM CARS

NEWS FROM

ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

February 6, 2014

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release

              718-853-9616 (office)      

    973-945-4903 (cell)

HIKIND URGES STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF
SNOW REMOVAL FROM CARS

“WE NEED TO PROTECT THE DRIVERS AND THE PUBLIC”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is shocked that so many drivers are heading out onto the roads with windshields and roofs dangerously covered in snow or ice… and even more so that they are getting away with it. Both, he says, have to stop.

“Snow or ice on a car’s windshield or rear window is a clear obstruction to a driver’s visibility,” explains the Assemblyman. “The law is very clear about this.”

But it’s more than just observing a motor vehicle regulation, explains Assemblyman Hikind—it’s about protecting people’s lives.

“Frankly, I find it shocking that anyone at all would be willing to risk their own life the way I’ve seen drivers doing so during this recent storm,” Hikind observed. “I’ve witnessed people who were apparently in such a rush that they only cleared off a small portion of their windows and jumped in their cars to get going. Their visibility is clearly restricted. They can’t see what they need to see. It’s dangerous!”

Further, a large chuck of ice can easily fly off of a moving vehicle’s roof and break the windshield of a car traveling behind it. Or a large quantity of snow sitting on a moving vehicle’s roof can fly off and temporarily blind another driver traveling at a high speed.

“This is not just about the drivers or their passengers, it’s about public safety,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “Drivers must take the extra five minutes, or whatever is required, to do the right thing and make certain that their trip will be a safe one for everyone concerned. And law enforcement must make certain that drivers take these measures seriously.

Moving vehicle in Brooklyn with driver's side of rear view window blocked.

Photo by Assemblyman Hikind of driver in front of him.