Is It Illegal To Not Scrape Snow Off Your Car?

It's always a rough start to the morning when you wake up to snow on your car. Most of us are so tired or in such a hurry to be on our way, we only scrape off a bit of the ice on our windshield, just enough so we can see.

However, it is strongly recommended that you scrape large chunks of ice and snow off the top of your car, especially if you are going on the highway. Refusing to do so can have deadly impacts on other drivers on the road as sheets of ice sliding off of your car in traffic can potentially cause an accident.  As if that wasn't bad enough, there are also fines for not doing so.

According to Fox Illinois:

"Every person that operates a motor vehicle shall remove snow, ice and other material from their windshields so they have a clear view of the highway."

If you don't do as much you could be facing a fine. For Iowa, according to WeareIowa:

"A person shall not drive a motor vehicle equipped with a windshield, sidewings, or side or rear windows which do not permit clear vision.”

The potential fine for violating this section of the Iowa Code is as high as $127.50, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

These "ice missiles" can be extremely dangerous, so make sure to thoroughly clear off your car (no more tiny peep holes in your windshield) along with any build up of ice or snow on the roof of your car to help keep you and everyone else on the road safe.