YORK TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- The nor’easter that dumped several inches of snow central Pennsylvania had drivers digging out their cars.
Of course people are going to clear off their windshields, but what about cleaning off the roof? Anyone who is running late for work, can’t reach the top of their SUV, or maybe someone who doesn't feel like doing it, might just skip it.
We’ve all seen those drivers or maybe you happen to be one of them yourself, someone who left home without wiping off their snow covered vehicles.
PennDOT safety press officer Fritzi Schreffler said "tractor trailers, high profile vehicles, school buses, anything that’s tall, because it’s not as easy to get one of those long scrapers and just scrape the top of your vehicle off."
It makes many ask if it's against the law to not clean off what the storm left behind.
"There is no law that specifically says you have to remove all the snow and ice off the top of your vehicle before you leave," Schreffler said.
Drivers thinking that gives them a break still might want to take a few extra minutes to clear off the roof.
"If it comes off the top of your vehicle, and causes serious bodily injury or death to someone behind you, then there are fines associated with that," Schreffler said.
A fine that could range from $200 to $1,000 isn't the only thing that might hit drivers who head out with snow still piled on top.
"What if somebody in front of you stood suddenly and you have to stop? All of that is going to come sliding down in front of your vehicle, and it’s going to obscure your vision. If you can’t see, that becomes a problem for everybody else around you," Schreffler said.
Drivers who take a chance on not completely clearing off their cars, aren't completely off the hook with law enforcement.
"You actually could get pulled over and ticketed for that. You can not have any obstruction on any of your windows, so whether that’s the front, the side windows, the back window, your side mirrors, you have to be able to see," Schreffler said.
Hopefully that won't be a concern anymore for drivers this year...at least until next winter.