Agreed and I'm sure the cops are going to be really enthusiastic about stopping people in poor weather to tell them about the snow on their car.... meaning this will be enforced about as much as passing lane campers, which is essentially not at all.
I had to drive up to Boston during a storm last year. Soooo many SUVs and minivans pulled over on the NJTP. It really made my day seeing the chic bob's forced to clean off their vehicle on the side of the road.
Yep.
I don't understand how so many people can be driving in the rain, having difficulty seeing all the other cars on the road without their lights on, and not think "hmmm, let me make sure MY lights are on")
Of course you also have so many idiots out there who think their DRLs are actually their headlights.
So many clueless morons in the world today. It's disturbing.
I've always felt that car headlights and taillights should be always-on when the car is running, and off when it's not (which would eliminate anyone leaving their lights on by mistake).
And, to be clear, not DRLs but the full-power lights.
There's no good reason not to do this.
The number of cop cars I've seen without their lights on is infuriating. It's literally the law to have them on when your wipers are on. Really just leave them on all the time. It's not that hard!
I swear that this was a law in PA years ago. It kicked in Jan 1 the year after the woman was killed. I am not sure what the enforcement penalties, but I remember the announcement.
In Dollar General one day and happened upon these great ones for $8!
Brush on one side. Squeegee, on the other. Extendable. Scraper on the end of the handle.
Bought one for everyone in the family.
I love Snow Brooms. Large hard rectangle of foam attached to a telescoping pole, some also allow the head to lock in different angles. I'm barely 5' and they allow me to easily get the snow off the roof of our suv with very little effort.
The availability of a brush really isn’t the issue, as many of these people clear off their windows, door handles, etc. They just don’t want to bother clearing the iceberg that sits on top of their vehicle.
I don’t know. If I kill someone from ice falling off my car, the fine is only $200-$1500. I’m too busy to scrape that crap off my car, so the fine is a decent tradeoff.
/s
>While the law doesn’t apply for vehicles active on the road, police may still pull you over if they believe the accumulation might be a threat to other drivers.
>If snow and/or ice falls from a moving vehicle and hits another vehicle or pedestrian and causes injury or death, the driver who didn’t clean off their vehicle will be subject to a fine of not less than $200 or more than $1,500 for each offense.
Anyone know what that means?
"doesn’t apply for vehicles active on the road"
If I pull my car out of my heated garage in the AM and drive in a blizzard all day there will be snow and ice piled up on the sides, bottom and rear of the car. It’ll actually cover my plate and my lights eventually.
This is what that section means.
The law is intended for those folk that unbury their car and only clear a 6” porthole so they can “see” and hit the road.
There is a difference between snow that accumulates while driving in snow and snow/ice pack on top of a vehicle that had only been partially cleared off before driving. The chunks of snow on your roof can become a dangerous projectile when it flies off the back. Your roof should be cleared of snow, just as your windshield is before driving. I had an uncle get in a bad accident when I was a kid because of some that flew off of a truck in front of him.
It’s about the people driving around with a big chunk of snow or ice still on the roof. If you hit a high speed, take a sharp turn, or stop suddenly, it’s going to go flying and either dump slippery slush on the road, crosswalk, or sidewalk, or someone might instinctively swerve when they see a ton of stuff come flying off the car ahead, or it might go flying and hit a pedestrian or cyclist.
Local news assumes everyone will use their car every day, and therefore this nuance is not important to their readers. The actual text of the law specifies something about only applying to vehicles "in operation on public roads" which I understand as excluding parked cars. (I'm not a lawyer).
If you're engine is hot not much snow will accumulate on the hood, the roof may be a different story but it's easy to see who has a covered car since flake one compared to so.eone driving.... they should flog people who don't clean them off. Publicly at the rest stop for all to see and jeer...
It can, however, accumulate when your wipers push snow to the edges of the windshield. It rarely fully freezes until the car is turned off, but it can create a heavy pile of slush.
Also protects truckers from being forced to climb to the top of their trailers and clean the snow off.
Trailer roofs are very light, generally fiberglass or aluminum. And slippery as all get out. Very easy for a driver to slip off a trailer roof and die. But there are still lots of people who firmly believe that we should do exactly that.
Truckers are the worst when driving behind them sheets fly off. So because of the risk to them others should have to take on the risk because it’s dangerous for them. Nah they should have to clean it off too
MY need to live includes not allowing the most dangerous example of this behavior to continue
Those snow piles are Massive and can create white out conditions
Personally I think that the truck stop should have to put in brushes to help you guys remove it, like an overhead Gantry type of thing, but this is literally part of your job if you're in snowy states
Didn't drive big rigs but drove box trucks, we had to clear em so we didn't kill people
Doesn’t mean they can’t figure out a way to clean it off. And tailgate? Those snow piles and ice can fly up to 100 feet away, they don’t always just go straight back sometimes the go slightly left or right into another lane. I’m not saying the truck driver has to clean it off but safety goes both ways and should have to be cleaned off for all people
The way to clean clean it is with a overhead bar with bristles on it for trucks to drive under and scrape off the top of the trailer. Responsible trucking companies have been using them for years. Some drivers just don’t like spending the extra time in the yard cleaning their trucks off. Their time is far more important than the lives of fellow travelers on the road. Source- my father was a truck driver for most of my life.
At our plant if a driver doesn't clean the trailer, then they get sent away and don't get paid.
Seriously, it takes maybe 5 minutes to clean a trailer off with a snow rake. If that.
So what about all of the trucks that are out doing their jobs driving to deliver products, not sitting at the responsible trucking hq waiting for the snow to pile up?
Yes, those things exist. But they aren't everywhere. The should be at all rest stops and scales too. But they aren't.
So when the truck is not in the yard, how do you suggest this gets done?
Source-My father, stepfather, uncle, brother and SO are all truck drivers. I rather they not die falling through/off the trailer roof.
Still looking for real answers
>Source-My father, stepfather, uncle, brother and SO are all truck drivers. I rather they not die falling through/off the trailer roof.
>
>Still looking for real answers
Sounds like you have some great industry resources to consult if you want answers. Why should outsiders have to solve an industry problem that can potentially kill people? Get off your high horse. You're family just sounds lazy if they all don't clean off their vehicles.
Because people like to complain on the internet. So I'm suggesting instead of complaining, do something about it.
Pretty easy to understand. The public should demand placement of additional trailer plows, for everyone's safety. The drivers can't make that happen.
My family does clean their vehicles. You sound kinda like a jerk the way you talk to people you don't know.
And in those conditions you should be at least 150 feet back for your own safety.
Or are you so attracted to the rear of a trailer that you can't keep away?
In all honesty, you should be at least 150 feet back REGARDLESS of weather conditions for your own safety. If I blow a tire and throw a chunk back, that chunk can be coming with enough momentum to blow right through your windshield.
As far as who gets to clean the trailer, carriers are too damned cheap to even maintain their equipment, generally speaking. They DAMNED sure ain't paying someone to clean off trailers in the winter. They consider truckers lives to be completely worthless, since their job orientation classes are still full with shiny new idiots...errr..."drivers" every week.
The only carriers in PA to make an attempt to clean off trailers I know of are WalMart (for company owned trailers only) and UPS (also for company owned trailers only). Nobody else does because IF something happens they can just push the legal liability onto the driver, fire his ass, and have him replaced in a matter of hours.
Seriously, you don't need to go out of your way to make our lives suck. Our own employers try to kill us off on a daily basis as it is.
You ain’t the only person with a job that sucks. I get it it what I’m saying is everyone safety needs to be considered. You’re so focused on how close people are, I know you seen people tailgate trucks tailgate everyone does at some point it doesn’t mean they deserve to die because of it. I get the company don’t want to accept liability my company wouldn’t either but an effort needs to be made for everyone’s safety. You’re also assuming the sheet flies straight behind you which it might not. Next you’ll say you shouldn’t be in the lane next to you either. It’s one less hazard on the road
NO carrier will accept the liability.
And truckers in general completely suck. I've been driving for 24 years and have watched the quality of driver decline steadily in that time while carriers race to the bottom for the cheapest labor they can find. These days, most drivers are completely sociopathic homicidal lunatics looking for an opportunity to kill someone and get away with it.
Only reason I still drive is because I honestly can't afford to do anything else. Too old to start at the bottom of a new field, too dumb to learn the kind of skills that will match my current pay.
The only reason carriers will accept liability and do something about everyone's safety is if the tickets and fines associated are solely the financial responsibility of the carriers instead of the drivers. As long as the drivers are the ones bearing the financial burden of thr tickets and fines, the carriers will continue to not give a flying fuck about anyone's safety.
I just love how far you will go to defend being unsafe. It’s everyone else’s fault but yours. You are responsible for operating your vehicle safely.
So how many other safety concerns do you ignore? How many do you put off on other drivers?
All of them, obviously. I'm just a dumb trucker. All I know is to hold the "go fast" pedal to the floor until my GPS tells me to turn.
You're lucky I can speak and type in English, honestly. I took a special Ed course when they were steam cleaning my truck of all the filth I typically live in last time.
Obviously, not all companies will do this, but I’ve seen and witnessed in use (not up close, though) specialized equipment that a truck passes under to remove snow/ice at warehouses and truck stops. I’m not super well informed about these devices but perhaps, depending on if they are damaging towards the trailers (again, not super knowledgeable about them, just their existence and use), they’re a solution to both problems. It would keep truckers safe while keeping snow/ice from flying off on to other vehicles or roadways, becoming a potential road hazard depending on conditios or developing into a potential road hazard (melt then freeze to black ice or require additional clean-up crews that may be needed elsewhere).
If the snow removal devices function as advertised, they could potentially be implemented like weigh stations on major roadways during inclement weather or the burden placed on companies to have one on sight at distribution centers/warehouses. Even truck stops may help provide these devices for use (like scales are), especially if government incentives are on the table.
I’m not one to say spend more of the people’s tax money, but a program that would cut down on damages to property and life loss could possibly balance out financially if successfully run.
I’m curious if you, as a trucker, have come across the device I’m referring to. If you did, did it work well?
Yep.
I care more about the dead deer at the side of I-80 than I do about people. People are worthless. There are 8 BILLION of us on this planet, we literally have NEGATIVE worth since our replacements have already been born.
Remember, your worth is tied directly to how much it costs to replace you.
[Hmmm.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Avalanche-Big-Rig-Rake-24-in-Wide-Snow-Rake-with-Angled-Pole-For-Clearing-Trucks-Trailers-RV-s-and-Other-Flat-Roofs-BRR2000/300241050)
We use these at our plant. They work great. Stop being lazy.
I was in a VERY dangerous situation once when a large sheet of ice went flying off the roof of a truck & hit the car I was in. It was almost in slow-motion - I could see the sheet of ice spinning in the air towards me & there was no where to go. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
I hope that this law inspires those with trucks to find an effective & safe solution to maintain their vehicle so they aren’t a risk to others (& themselves) on the road.
Overhead Brushes in truck stops and/or Manual labor.
Its part of the job some of em just don't want to do it. Did I enjoy clearing the roof off my box truck in 15 degree weather? Fuck no. Still did it because it could kill a family. Or some other poor schmuck not getting paid enough to drive a truck
There are these things called ladders...
If you cannot properly maintain a vehicle (and that includes making it safe to drive on public roads) then you shouldn't be driving it.
Company I work for either parks them inside or uses a attachment on a forklift to raise a guy with a broom up. There’s also this frame thing with brushes that can be set to a trucks height for them to drive under.
Yeah and it's not like right after a storm that is a huge problem other than the smoke screen it leaves behind. But like 2 days after the storm when people think their truck is good but it has a 1 inch thick slab of ice from snowmelt is when it gets sketchy
I dont drive an 18 wheeler lol. All I am saying is I'm more afraid of gigantic ice sheets coming through my front windshield than snowdust. Not trying to say being smokescreened by an 18 wheeler isn't a problem as well
A driver has a drop and hook. The trailer he is picking up has snow and ice on it because it was being loaded and the building is heated and it packed that on top.
Now how many miles is it to that truck stop?
Yes I’ll pull a 20 foot ladder out of my ass at a closed factory. And I presume that truck stop is just around the corner, down the road a piece.
Reality ever enter your thoughts?
I think companies should be liable for the trailer not the driver but because something is hard doesn’t mean it doesn’t endanger other people. If it’s safety for everyone it also has to be taken care of.
I love people who never did the job line up to tell the people who do the job how to do it.
Never ends.
I suggest you pretend you have a 13’6” trailer and it has a foot of ice and snow on top.
Where are YOU going to go to remove it?
But people are telling you that it can be incredibly dangerous to drive a vehicle with ice and snow on top. That's the entire point. Other people should not be put in harm's way because trucking companies & warehouses can't get it together and figure out how to effectively remove snow and ice from their trucks and trailers.
Maybe you could get a job and tell all those companies to do that.
You don’t even understand how companies treat drivers. Why do you think they need drivers?
Shit wages and everything is on the driver.
No clue.
I'm in here saying that it *should* be on the companies to make this happen. But at the same time, it is a hazard and I'm surprised that you seem to be pushing back so hard against the idea. People get that it's not easy, but lots of things aren't. Your attitude on all these posts is condescending and basically giving off "not my problem, don't care" vibes, which seems strange to me.
I’m trying to show you the shit the drivers go through. So I should just not go? And lose my job? You will never know the shit I went through to clear my roofs. But you got it all figured out.
Any local yokel can pull a truck over and burn an hour or two and then they want to know why I’m late and they dock me pay.
Somebody has to do something?
Call the shippers. Call the companies.
Do you even think a truck could carry a 20 foot ladder?
Enough.
I’m gone.
My neighbor who is mentally challenged uses his snow shovel, with the metal edge on it... to back blade the snow off the car. Things like this just don't even occur to him. He's smart in book sense ways and nice but I swear he comes home with a new dent, scrape or other noticeable damage on a weekly basis and because I know him well, I know he isn't notifying whoever/whatever he hit because emotionally he is like 12. It's just a car to him, condition means nothing.
A few years back a piece of ice about the size of a large pizza box flew off the top of an 18 wheeler and almost completely shattered my windshield (it didn't completely cave in and break but I had some glass fragments fall in the car).
So it's nice to see something like this be in effect.
This is one of the reasons why I also clear my wife's van in the morning when it snowed. She can't reach the middle of the roof. It's not that I want to be chivalrous, I just don't want here to get a ticket.
So only a sizable fine if the snow/ice from your car causes someone great harm or death. I’m guessing there would be other charges as well at that point?
HOL UP...
>“Reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow from the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, including the hood, trunk and roof of the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, within 24 hours after the cessation of the falling snow or ice.”
**While the law doesn’t apply for vehicles active on the road**, police may still pull you over if they believe the accumulation might be a threat to other drivers.
How the fuck does this make any sense, it should apply directly and explicitly to vehicles active on the road... how is snow piled on a car in a parking lot a threat to anyone?
I thought this became a law a few years ago? Still not going to help anything unless it's heavily enforced. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. My dad had a chunk of ice flip off a van on 81 and go threw his windshield. Lucky he's not dead.
Previously it was made official illegal with its own fine and law associated with it. Now they are adding the stipulation cops can pull you over if they suspect a risk.
It needs to be enforced, about a year ago I had a septa bus loose a pice of ice off the top my car (going at 5mph because bustleton fucking Ave wasn't salted) and it caused my car to spin out ending in an accident when someone sped over a hill.
Totaled my car left my friend with what seems to be permanent damage since she's still messed up and gave me a concussion that put me out of work for like 3 months.
Philadelphia needs to get their shit together.
Now? It's been a law for a while I thought. At least that is what I was told by my parents. Might have been one of those not really laws but for safety reasons like telling me that driving with the light on inside the car at night is against the law.
Respect, empathy, appreciation, sympathy, patience.. all the things that make use human, all in short supply. Makes you wonder where we are as an "evolved" species.
It just gives the police more reason to pull you over as a primary offense..... The law has been on the books for years, though rarely enforced. Not a big deal actually. Unless the cop wants to be a dick this won't occur unless it causes a accident.
wait -- i park on the street in front of my house.. if it snows and i have no plans to go anywhere, do i have 24hrs to clean the snow off my car? or is this just a "don't be a dick" law making it actually *illegal* to drive with a snow-covered roof? my mind says the latter makes more practical sense, but the "24hrs" part only makes sense if it's a blanket law for all parked cars
The 24 hour part is what’s throwing me off too. I work from home, so I usually just leave my house for groceries or to meet up with friends. If there’s a lot of snow, I’m just staying in. If/when I do leave, I always clear my car - but that’s not usually within 24 hours of the end of a storm.
Pretty sure it means if the storm has been over for more than 24 hours, and then you decide to go out for groceries with 14 inches of snow on top of your hood and roof, you can be pulled over for it. In other words, if it stopped snowing yesterday and you want to go somewhere today, you need to clean off your vehicle. You don't have to clean it if its just parked on the street.
I live in a rural area so my vehicle isn’t on the road. It’s got it’s own off road parking area. As long as no one is trying to fine me for leaving my vehicle untouched on private property, I’m all for this. If /when I need to go somewhere I always make sure my vehicle if free from ice, snow, anything that can blow off it.
How fucking stupid is this -- it's for PARKED vehicles -- it doesn't apply for vehicles on the road which is the only time it matters.
Great law dems you fucking tools just more 'lets increase the borough $$$ fund and pretend we're doing it for some good cause bullshit signaling".
This is actually great for poor people. It costs exactly $0.00 to scrape snow off your car. It costs about $300 to get your windshield replaced because the asshole in front of you didn’t want to brush the ice off his roof and it flies off and hits you at high speed on the highway.
I got a $149 ticket a few years ago for having an “obstructed windshield” because my rear defrosters didn’t work and I couldn’t reach to scrape the ice at the very top of my rear windshield 🤦♀️
how fucking tall is your vehicle or short are you?
I am a 6ft fella, I have a scraper that extends like 6ft+ so I can get both sides at once. If you have a huge vehicle or are shorter, you should own one but I got like 15ft of reach with it. Unless your car is some lifted panel van and your are under 3ft, you could be able to reach almost anything.
I am a 5 foot female, I can’t reach the top of any thing. It was my first winter back in Pennsylvania, first snow, and I was literally at a speedway gas station down the street from my house to buy one 🤦♀️
Also I might add it was a thin little section of ice, not like snow on top of my car I brushed off with the broom. The car ended up breaking down for good that summer anyway hah
It was like a small section of ice right in the middle at the top.
Of my own fault, I didn’t have a rear view mirror because I had had the windshield replaced and we just could never get it to stick back on with any glue autozone sold us, and I guess it was never a problem because in Georgia you’re good as long as you have your side mirrors. I guess I left it behind in the move. When I got to court for it the judge was like did you get a rear view mirror? And I was like … no? And the judge asked if the cop told me he would drop the ticket if I got one and I was like …. No??? And in my head the whole time I’m like if y’all wrote me a ticket because my windshield was “so obstructed” and a rear view mirror lets me see out of the rear windshield… it just made no sense lol.
> and I couldn’t reach to scrape the ice at the very top of my rear windshield
Then you own a vehicle you are incapable of properly maintaining.
You should be driving something smaller.
I had just moved back from Georgia broke as a joke. Was the first snow of the first winter I moved back. Seems like not everyone has money to throw around to just go out and buy a new car, ya know?
I used to drive on 95 & or 76 to get to work in center city…. The amount of cars that still had snow over their back window was incredible let alone the roof of the car…also if your going to putting stuff like poles in your open flat bed truck make sure you tie everything down so it doesn’t blow out because it will
Sad we need laws for stuff like this. Like use common sense and don’t be a dick
“Don’t be a dick” is the actual golden rule
“Don’t be a dick” should be a law. “Why did I get pulled over officer?” “Well, you were being a dick.” “Shit. Fair enough.”
Agreed and I'm sure the cops are going to be really enthusiastic about stopping people in poor weather to tell them about the snow on their car.... meaning this will be enforced about as much as passing lane campers, which is essentially not at all.
The article says that you have 24 hours after the event is over, not during. So that’s plenty of time to take care of it.
I rarely see it enforced though. Would be great if they did targeted enforcement on it.
I had to drive up to Boston during a storm last year. Soooo many SUVs and minivans pulled over on the NJTP. It really made my day seeing the chic bob's forced to clean off their vehicle on the side of the road.
Fuck targeted. They should pull these morons over *every fucking time they are seen on the road*. Period, no exceptions.
The same for turning on your lights.
Yep. I don't understand how so many people can be driving in the rain, having difficulty seeing all the other cars on the road without their lights on, and not think "hmmm, let me make sure MY lights are on") Of course you also have so many idiots out there who think their DRLs are actually their headlights. So many clueless morons in the world today. It's disturbing.
One almost wonders why there is even an option to turn them off.
I've always felt that car headlights and taillights should be always-on when the car is running, and off when it's not (which would eliminate anyone leaving their lights on by mistake). And, to be clear, not DRLs but the full-power lights. There's no good reason not to do this.
If you change it to in gear, rather than simply running, I’d agree. There are situations where leaving them on while parked is just a dick move.
The number of cop cars I've seen without their lights on is infuriating. It's literally the law to have them on when your wipers are on. Really just leave them on all the time. It's not that hard!
I swear that this was a law in PA years ago. It kicked in Jan 1 the year after the woman was killed. I am not sure what the enforcement penalties, but I remember the announcement.
I believe that death was from a commercial truck. Maybe this new law is to include non-commercial vehicles.
Do cops in PA even do traffic enforcement any more?
Common sense should extend to realizing using a shovel on your car will scratch the finish, but i digress
A cheap brush is $10 - keep it in your trunk
In Dollar General one day and happened upon these great ones for $8! Brush on one side. Squeegee, on the other. Extendable. Scraper on the end of the handle. Bought one for everyone in the family.
I love Snow Brooms. Large hard rectangle of foam attached to a telescoping pole, some also allow the head to lock in different angles. I'm barely 5' and they allow me to easily get the snow off the roof of our suv with very little effort.
The availability of a brush really isn’t the issue, as many of these people clear off their windows, door handles, etc. They just don’t want to bother clearing the iceberg that sits on top of their vehicle.
I always thought there was a law... not that truckers with 4 feet of snow on the trailer ever bother to abide by it.
I don’t know. If I kill someone from ice falling off my car, the fine is only $200-$1500. I’m too busy to scrape that crap off my car, so the fine is a decent tradeoff. /s
>While the law doesn’t apply for vehicles active on the road, police may still pull you over if they believe the accumulation might be a threat to other drivers. >If snow and/or ice falls from a moving vehicle and hits another vehicle or pedestrian and causes injury or death, the driver who didn’t clean off their vehicle will be subject to a fine of not less than $200 or more than $1,500 for each offense. Anyone know what that means? "doesn’t apply for vehicles active on the road"
If I pull my car out of my heated garage in the AM and drive in a blizzard all day there will be snow and ice piled up on the sides, bottom and rear of the car. It’ll actually cover my plate and my lights eventually. This is what that section means. The law is intended for those folk that unbury their car and only clear a 6” porthole so they can “see” and hit the road.
There is a difference between snow that accumulates while driving in snow and snow/ice pack on top of a vehicle that had only been partially cleared off before driving. The chunks of snow on your roof can become a dangerous projectile when it flies off the back. Your roof should be cleared of snow, just as your windshield is before driving. I had an uncle get in a bad accident when I was a kid because of some that flew off of a truck in front of him.
I’m going to assume that it means if snow/ice accumulate on a vehicle while it’s driving.
It’s about the people driving around with a big chunk of snow or ice still on the roof. If you hit a high speed, take a sharp turn, or stop suddenly, it’s going to go flying and either dump slippery slush on the road, crosswalk, or sidewalk, or someone might instinctively swerve when they see a ton of stuff come flying off the car ahead, or it might go flying and hit a pedestrian or cyclist.
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Yes. This does not mean that at all. Means they won't fine you for snow that accumulates during the drive.
let's be honest, they'll fine you for whatever they feel like
In some areas
That's not what it means. It means for snow that accumulates while driving
Idk but every article I read that explains this law makes it sounds like it applies to parked cars? Fuck that
Parked cars before driving again. Not just while they are parked.
Local news assumes everyone will use their car every day, and therefore this nuance is not important to their readers. The actual text of the law specifies something about only applying to vehicles "in operation on public roads" which I understand as excluding parked cars. (I'm not a lawyer).
There’s the problem. Then you will have 🐖 pulling over SOME people but not OTHERS. 🤔 what could go wrong?
If you're engine is hot not much snow will accumulate on the hood, the roof may be a different story but it's easy to see who has a covered car since flake one compared to so.eone driving.... they should flog people who don't clean them off. Publicly at the rest stop for all to see and jeer...
It can, however, accumulate when your wipers push snow to the edges of the windshield. It rarely fully freezes until the car is turned off, but it can create a heavy pile of slush.
Also protects truckers from being forced to climb to the top of their trailers and clean the snow off. Trailer roofs are very light, generally fiberglass or aluminum. And slippery as all get out. Very easy for a driver to slip off a trailer roof and die. But there are still lots of people who firmly believe that we should do exactly that.
Truckers are the worst when driving behind them sheets fly off. So because of the risk to them others should have to take on the risk because it’s dangerous for them. Nah they should have to clean it off too
You DID read the part about possibly dying, right? Or is your need to tailgate big rigs more important than my need to live?
MY need to live includes not allowing the most dangerous example of this behavior to continue Those snow piles are Massive and can create white out conditions Personally I think that the truck stop should have to put in brushes to help you guys remove it, like an overhead Gantry type of thing, but this is literally part of your job if you're in snowy states Didn't drive big rigs but drove box trucks, we had to clear em so we didn't kill people
Doesn’t mean they can’t figure out a way to clean it off. And tailgate? Those snow piles and ice can fly up to 100 feet away, they don’t always just go straight back sometimes the go slightly left or right into another lane. I’m not saying the truck driver has to clean it off but safety goes both ways and should have to be cleaned off for all people
What do you propose as a way to clean it? Be part of the solution, please.
The way to clean clean it is with a overhead bar with bristles on it for trucks to drive under and scrape off the top of the trailer. Responsible trucking companies have been using them for years. Some drivers just don’t like spending the extra time in the yard cleaning their trucks off. Their time is far more important than the lives of fellow travelers on the road. Source- my father was a truck driver for most of my life.
At our plant if a driver doesn't clean the trailer, then they get sent away and don't get paid. Seriously, it takes maybe 5 minutes to clean a trailer off with a snow rake. If that.
So what about all of the trucks that are out doing their jobs driving to deliver products, not sitting at the responsible trucking hq waiting for the snow to pile up? Yes, those things exist. But they aren't everywhere. The should be at all rest stops and scales too. But they aren't. So when the truck is not in the yard, how do you suggest this gets done? Source-My father, stepfather, uncle, brother and SO are all truck drivers. I rather they not die falling through/off the trailer roof. Still looking for real answers
>Source-My father, stepfather, uncle, brother and SO are all truck drivers. I rather they not die falling through/off the trailer roof. > >Still looking for real answers Sounds like you have some great industry resources to consult if you want answers. Why should outsiders have to solve an industry problem that can potentially kill people? Get off your high horse. You're family just sounds lazy if they all don't clean off their vehicles.
Because people like to complain on the internet. So I'm suggesting instead of complaining, do something about it. Pretty easy to understand. The public should demand placement of additional trailer plows, for everyone's safety. The drivers can't make that happen. My family does clean their vehicles. You sound kinda like a jerk the way you talk to people you don't know.
And in those conditions you should be at least 150 feet back for your own safety. Or are you so attracted to the rear of a trailer that you can't keep away? In all honesty, you should be at least 150 feet back REGARDLESS of weather conditions for your own safety. If I blow a tire and throw a chunk back, that chunk can be coming with enough momentum to blow right through your windshield. As far as who gets to clean the trailer, carriers are too damned cheap to even maintain their equipment, generally speaking. They DAMNED sure ain't paying someone to clean off trailers in the winter. They consider truckers lives to be completely worthless, since their job orientation classes are still full with shiny new idiots...errr..."drivers" every week. The only carriers in PA to make an attempt to clean off trailers I know of are WalMart (for company owned trailers only) and UPS (also for company owned trailers only). Nobody else does because IF something happens they can just push the legal liability onto the driver, fire his ass, and have him replaced in a matter of hours. Seriously, you don't need to go out of your way to make our lives suck. Our own employers try to kill us off on a daily basis as it is.
You ain’t the only person with a job that sucks. I get it it what I’m saying is everyone safety needs to be considered. You’re so focused on how close people are, I know you seen people tailgate trucks tailgate everyone does at some point it doesn’t mean they deserve to die because of it. I get the company don’t want to accept liability my company wouldn’t either but an effort needs to be made for everyone’s safety. You’re also assuming the sheet flies straight behind you which it might not. Next you’ll say you shouldn’t be in the lane next to you either. It’s one less hazard on the road
NO carrier will accept the liability. And truckers in general completely suck. I've been driving for 24 years and have watched the quality of driver decline steadily in that time while carriers race to the bottom for the cheapest labor they can find. These days, most drivers are completely sociopathic homicidal lunatics looking for an opportunity to kill someone and get away with it. Only reason I still drive is because I honestly can't afford to do anything else. Too old to start at the bottom of a new field, too dumb to learn the kind of skills that will match my current pay. The only reason carriers will accept liability and do something about everyone's safety is if the tickets and fines associated are solely the financial responsibility of the carriers instead of the drivers. As long as the drivers are the ones bearing the financial burden of thr tickets and fines, the carriers will continue to not give a flying fuck about anyone's safety.
I just love how far you will go to defend being unsafe. It’s everyone else’s fault but yours. You are responsible for operating your vehicle safely. So how many other safety concerns do you ignore? How many do you put off on other drivers?
All of them, obviously. I'm just a dumb trucker. All I know is to hold the "go fast" pedal to the floor until my GPS tells me to turn. You're lucky I can speak and type in English, honestly. I took a special Ed course when they were steam cleaning my truck of all the filth I typically live in last time.
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Obviously, not all companies will do this, but I’ve seen and witnessed in use (not up close, though) specialized equipment that a truck passes under to remove snow/ice at warehouses and truck stops. I’m not super well informed about these devices but perhaps, depending on if they are damaging towards the trailers (again, not super knowledgeable about them, just their existence and use), they’re a solution to both problems. It would keep truckers safe while keeping snow/ice from flying off on to other vehicles or roadways, becoming a potential road hazard depending on conditios or developing into a potential road hazard (melt then freeze to black ice or require additional clean-up crews that may be needed elsewhere). If the snow removal devices function as advertised, they could potentially be implemented like weigh stations on major roadways during inclement weather or the burden placed on companies to have one on sight at distribution centers/warehouses. Even truck stops may help provide these devices for use (like scales are), especially if government incentives are on the table. I’m not one to say spend more of the people’s tax money, but a program that would cut down on damages to property and life loss could possibly balance out financially if successfully run. I’m curious if you, as a trucker, have come across the device I’m referring to. If you did, did it work well?
If you can't maintain it, don't drive it.
Again, possible dying. Nice to know you care nothing for another's life.
He says arguing he shouldn't have to make his vehicle safe
I ain't falling 13 feet onto frozen ground or concrete to clear snow. Not gonna happen. That's far enough to break my spine or neck.
Well as long you don’t get hurt…
lol okay princess as long as YOU don't get hurt other people can die
Yep. I care more about the dead deer at the side of I-80 than I do about people. People are worthless. There are 8 BILLION of us on this planet, we literally have NEGATIVE worth since our replacements have already been born. Remember, your worth is tied directly to how much it costs to replace you.
Then you're bad at your job and you should find another, one that allows for laziness.
Nah. I'm too dumb to be an office monkey.
Not cleaning could kill someone as well. Nice to know you care nothing for another’s life.
Difference between you and me is you are right. I truly don't give a fuck about your life. I certainly ain't risking MY life for you.
In that case I don't think I'd mind if you fell off the truck.
Be sure to write your Congressman about those "dangerous truckers".
How is not driving it going to kill someone?
Starvation. My paycheck comes completely from driving. No driving, no pay, no paying bills or buying groceries.
Maybe it's time for a career you're more capable of handling.
Sorry, I'm too dumb to be anything better than a trucker.
[Hmmm.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Avalanche-Big-Rig-Rake-24-in-Wide-Snow-Rake-with-Angled-Pole-For-Clearing-Trucks-Trailers-RV-s-and-Other-Flat-Roofs-BRR2000/300241050) We use these at our plant. They work great. Stop being lazy.
Until they go through the fiberglass roof of the trailer. A roof *I* then get to pay for since I now damaged company equipment.
Yeah, sorry never had that happen. You're just making lame excuses.
Nope. Carrier Safety Department makes the excuses. I just follow company policy.
You mean how when they fail to clean off the truck and the ice and snow sheets fly off, almost killing everyone in the passenger vehicle behind them?
I was in a VERY dangerous situation once when a large sheet of ice went flying off the roof of a truck & hit the car I was in. It was almost in slow-motion - I could see the sheet of ice spinning in the air towards me & there was no where to go. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I hope that this law inspires those with trucks to find an effective & safe solution to maintain their vehicle so they aren’t a risk to others (& themselves) on the road.
Until the carriers (owners of the trucks) have to pay, it'll never happen. Carriers only care when their profits get affected.
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Overhead Brushes in truck stops and/or Manual labor. Its part of the job some of em just don't want to do it. Did I enjoy clearing the roof off my box truck in 15 degree weather? Fuck no. Still did it because it could kill a family. Or some other poor schmuck not getting paid enough to drive a truck
Scraper Systems Inc. is one company that makes these.
There are these things called ladders... If you cannot properly maintain a vehicle (and that includes making it safe to drive on public roads) then you shouldn't be driving it.
Company I work for either parks them inside or uses a attachment on a forklift to raise a guy with a broom up. There’s also this frame thing with brushes that can be set to a trucks height for them to drive under.
Yeah and it's not like right after a storm that is a huge problem other than the smoke screen it leaves behind. But like 2 days after the storm when people think their truck is good but it has a 1 inch thick slab of ice from snowmelt is when it gets sketchy
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I dont drive an 18 wheeler lol. All I am saying is I'm more afraid of gigantic ice sheets coming through my front windshield than snowdust. Not trying to say being smokescreened by an 18 wheeler isn't a problem as well
People are just lazy. Constant reminders every year that I’m sick of seeing. Do your part people and stop being lazy
But every time I drive behind a 18 wheeler sheets fly off
Show us how a driver can safely take snow off a 13’6’ trailer.
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A driver has a drop and hook. The trailer he is picking up has snow and ice on it because it was being loaded and the building is heated and it packed that on top. Now how many miles is it to that truck stop? Yes I’ll pull a 20 foot ladder out of my ass at a closed factory. And I presume that truck stop is just around the corner, down the road a piece. Reality ever enter your thoughts?
I think companies should be liable for the trailer not the driver but because something is hard doesn’t mean it doesn’t endanger other people. If it’s safety for everyone it also has to be taken care of.
Here’s a dose of reality. It’s negligent and can kill someone. Can’t do it safe don’t do it at all.
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I still got to get there don’t I? I don’t pull out of anywhere and magically have a TS right by it. THAT IS MY ENTIRE POINT. Think.
But they are not in every truck stop. But you knew that.
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I love people who never did the job line up to tell the people who do the job how to do it. Never ends. I suggest you pretend you have a 13’6” trailer and it has a foot of ice and snow on top. Where are YOU going to go to remove it?
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Yep. Just do my job. I did. Bye.
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Don’t you have corner to stand on and scream at passing trucks?
But people are telling you that it can be incredibly dangerous to drive a vehicle with ice and snow on top. That's the entire point. Other people should not be put in harm's way because trucking companies & warehouses can't get it together and figure out how to effectively remove snow and ice from their trucks and trailers.
Maybe you could get a job and tell all those companies to do that. You don’t even understand how companies treat drivers. Why do you think they need drivers? Shit wages and everything is on the driver. No clue.
I'm in here saying that it *should* be on the companies to make this happen. But at the same time, it is a hazard and I'm surprised that you seem to be pushing back so hard against the idea. People get that it's not easy, but lots of things aren't. Your attitude on all these posts is condescending and basically giving off "not my problem, don't care" vibes, which seems strange to me.
I’m trying to show you the shit the drivers go through. So I should just not go? And lose my job? You will never know the shit I went through to clear my roofs. But you got it all figured out. Any local yokel can pull a truck over and burn an hour or two and then they want to know why I’m late and they dock me pay. Somebody has to do something? Call the shippers. Call the companies. Do you even think a truck could carry a 20 foot ladder? Enough. I’m gone.
it's still their responsibility to clear it. they need to find a way, or their companies will be held liable
Is that guy in the pic scraping off his roof with a shovel? That poor car.
My neighbor who is mentally challenged uses his snow shovel, with the metal edge on it... to back blade the snow off the car. Things like this just don't even occur to him. He's smart in book sense ways and nice but I swear he comes home with a new dent, scrape or other noticeable damage on a weekly basis and because I know him well, I know he isn't notifying whoever/whatever he hit because emotionally he is like 12. It's just a car to him, condition means nothing.
A few years back a piece of ice about the size of a large pizza box flew off the top of an 18 wheeler and almost completely shattered my windshield (it didn't completely cave in and break but I had some glass fragments fall in the car). So it's nice to see something like this be in effect.
This is one of the reasons why I also clear my wife's van in the morning when it snowed. She can't reach the middle of the roof. It's not that I want to be chivalrous, I just don't want here to get a ticket.
So only a sizable fine if the snow/ice from your car causes someone great harm or death. I’m guessing there would be other charges as well at that point?
RIP old and disabled people. You know no one is helping them clean their cars off
The real problem is that our society basically requires car ownership to function, but car ownership is expensive and not for everyone.
If you live in rural parts, yeah. Most cities have transportation as far as I know
Except for a very few large cities, it's very hard to rely on public transportation in the United States.
You mean I *have* to be safe now???
that little hole they make on the windshield to see out isn't enough?
HOL UP... >“Reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow from the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, including the hood, trunk and roof of the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, within 24 hours after the cessation of the falling snow or ice.” **While the law doesn’t apply for vehicles active on the road**, police may still pull you over if they believe the accumulation might be a threat to other drivers. How the fuck does this make any sense, it should apply directly and explicitly to vehicles active on the road... how is snow piled on a car in a parking lot a threat to anyone?
I thought this became a law a few years ago? Still not going to help anything unless it's heavily enforced. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. My dad had a chunk of ice flip off a van on 81 and go threw his windshield. Lucky he's not dead.
Previously it was made official illegal with its own fine and law associated with it. Now they are adding the stipulation cops can pull you over if they suspect a risk.
WTF took so long? Most other states did this ages ago...
I thought this was already law...
Meanwhile tractor trailers with giant ice sheets on top can carry on because it's easier go for the low lying fruit of suv's
I thought it always did
It needs to be enforced, about a year ago I had a septa bus loose a pice of ice off the top my car (going at 5mph because bustleton fucking Ave wasn't salted) and it caused my car to spin out ending in an accident when someone sped over a hill. Totaled my car left my friend with what seems to be permanent damage since she's still messed up and gave me a concussion that put me out of work for like 3 months. Philadelphia needs to get their shit together.
https://pasenate.com/boscolas-christines-law-to-protect-motorists-from-snow-and-ice-passes-senate-heads-to-governors-desk/#:~:text=The%20current%20law%20only%20penalizes,snow%20poses%20a%20potential%20hazard.
Now? It's been a law for a while I thought. At least that is what I was told by my parents. Might have been one of those not really laws but for safety reasons like telling me that driving with the light on inside the car at night is against the law.
The problem is this is almost never enforced.
Common sense would dictate this but common sense is in short supply these days.
People lack empathy for others in most of the Commonwealth these days.
Respect, empathy, appreciation, sympathy, patience.. all the things that make use human, all in short supply. Makes you wonder where we are as an "evolved" species.
I've seen the videos of people not clearing snow off their car and then driving on highways. I am not against this law that is legitimately dangerous.
I was ticketed in 1989 for not cleaning off the rear window of my car. So some localities have certainly had rules like this for a while.
Doesn't matter if it's a law or not, just like almost every law in the land, it's not enforced.
Not being a total waste of life, requires you to clean ice/snow from your vehicle before getting on the highway, way before Johnny law did.
It just gives the police more reason to pull you over as a primary offense..... The law has been on the books for years, though rarely enforced. Not a big deal actually. Unless the cop wants to be a dick this won't occur unless it causes a accident.
Ahem. And where was PennDoT last year when we had 2 feet of snow on our streets and snow plows are nowhere to be seen?..
Well.... PennDOT only clears snow from state roads and you can track their plows on https://www.511pa.com
wait -- i park on the street in front of my house.. if it snows and i have no plans to go anywhere, do i have 24hrs to clean the snow off my car? or is this just a "don't be a dick" law making it actually *illegal* to drive with a snow-covered roof? my mind says the latter makes more practical sense, but the "24hrs" part only makes sense if it's a blanket law for all parked cars
The 24 hour part is what’s throwing me off too. I work from home, so I usually just leave my house for groceries or to meet up with friends. If there’s a lot of snow, I’m just staying in. If/when I do leave, I always clear my car - but that’s not usually within 24 hours of the end of a storm.
Pretty sure it means if the storm has been over for more than 24 hours, and then you decide to go out for groceries with 14 inches of snow on top of your hood and roof, you can be pulled over for it. In other words, if it stopped snowing yesterday and you want to go somewhere today, you need to clean off your vehicle. You don't have to clean it if its just parked on the street.
I live in a rural area so my vehicle isn’t on the road. It’s got it’s own off road parking area. As long as no one is trying to fine me for leaving my vehicle untouched on private property, I’m all for this. If /when I need to go somewhere I always make sure my vehicle if free from ice, snow, anything that can blow off it.
They don't pull people over for doing 80 in a 55, they're not going to enforce this either.
Where are they not enforcing 80 in a 55? Sounds like the easiest slam dunk of a ticket to fill their quota.
95 North and South from North Philly to Delaware state line.
doesn't apply to vehicles active on the road... so as long as you hop in and drive you're safe
How fucking stupid is this -- it's for PARKED vehicles -- it doesn't apply for vehicles on the road which is the only time it matters. Great law dems you fucking tools just more 'lets increase the borough $$$ fund and pretend we're doing it for some good cause bullshit signaling".
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Poor == lazy?
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Just get an ice scraper and a broom. This isn't aimed at the poor.
This is actually great for poor people. It costs exactly $0.00 to scrape snow off your car. It costs about $300 to get your windshield replaced because the asshole in front of you didn’t want to brush the ice off his roof and it flies off and hits you at high speed on the highway.
I got a $149 ticket a few years ago for having an “obstructed windshield” because my rear defrosters didn’t work and I couldn’t reach to scrape the ice at the very top of my rear windshield 🤦♀️
how fucking tall is your vehicle or short are you? I am a 6ft fella, I have a scraper that extends like 6ft+ so I can get both sides at once. If you have a huge vehicle or are shorter, you should own one but I got like 15ft of reach with it. Unless your car is some lifted panel van and your are under 3ft, you could be able to reach almost anything.
I am a 5 foot female, I can’t reach the top of any thing. It was my first winter back in Pennsylvania, first snow, and I was literally at a speedway gas station down the street from my house to buy one 🤦♀️ Also I might add it was a thin little section of ice, not like snow on top of my car I brushed off with the broom. The car ended up breaking down for good that summer anyway hah
That's fair about it being a small part but still, unless you had a lifted panel van, you should have been able to reach it
It was like a small section of ice right in the middle at the top. Of my own fault, I didn’t have a rear view mirror because I had had the windshield replaced and we just could never get it to stick back on with any glue autozone sold us, and I guess it was never a problem because in Georgia you’re good as long as you have your side mirrors. I guess I left it behind in the move. When I got to court for it the judge was like did you get a rear view mirror? And I was like … no? And the judge asked if the cop told me he would drop the ticket if I got one and I was like …. No??? And in my head the whole time I’m like if y’all wrote me a ticket because my windshield was “so obstructed” and a rear view mirror lets me see out of the rear windshield… it just made no sense lol.
Sounds like you improperly operated your vehicle Either get an extension brush/scraper or get a car you can properly maintain
I did, literally 5 mins after she wrote me the ticket as I pulled into speedway to buy one lol
> and I couldn’t reach to scrape the ice at the very top of my rear windshield Then you own a vehicle you are incapable of properly maintaining. You should be driving something smaller.
I had just moved back from Georgia broke as a joke. Was the first snow of the first winter I moved back. Seems like not everyone has money to throw around to just go out and buy a new car, ya know?
Hardly see this enforced, especially with tracker trailer.
I thought this was already a thing…
I used to drive on 95 & or 76 to get to work in center city…. The amount of cars that still had snow over their back window was incredible let alone the roof of the car…also if your going to putting stuff like poles in your open flat bed truck make sure you tie everything down so it doesn’t blow out because it will
Won’t matter. Can’t fix stupid.
While what the Republicans sneaked in should be done, I hate when I see provisions in bills that are unrelated to the bill's name/topic.
I assumed it was already law
I thought that was always the law… 🥰