PSA: if there is snow or ice on the roof of your vehicle clean it off

[bettyandbob]

This includes trucks, SUVs, minivans. No excuses because your vehicle is tall. It is irresponsible to drive away allowing chunks of ice and snow to blind drivers behind you and could cause serious accidents. 

 

In some jurisdictions there are laws requiring roof top snow removal. 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Oh, thank you. I nearly had an accident once after a huge chunk of the half-ice, half-snow on someone's SUV crashed into my windshield on the highway. It obscured my vision for several seconds before I could get it cleared, and I was amazed that it didn't break my windshield. It was very frightening. Thankfully there were no other cars to either side of me at the time, and I was alone in the car!

[Lolly]

Quit following so closely. 

 

We don't tend to get snow. When we do, we tend to just stay home. But, how would you go about removing snow from the tops of tall vehicles? How can you completely clean snow off of big trucks? I've had a large ice/snow chunk come off of a large truck, bounce down the road, and dent my van door before. I didn't fault the truck driver. I just considered it to be a hazard of driving, kind of like a deer. When it is snowy out, I just increase my distance. I do the same if I see a vehicle covered in a snow that has managed to drive from an area that has snow when we don't have any. Not everyone has a place to park their vehicle that keeps it clean.

[Garga]

Quit following so closely.

 

We don't tend to get snow. When we do, we tend to just stay home. But, how would you go about removing snow from the tops of tall vehicles? How can you completely clean snow off of big trucks? I've had a large ice/snow chunk come off of a large truck, bounce down the road, and dent my van door before. I didn't fault the truck driver. I just considered it to be a hazard of driving, kind of like a deer. When it is snowy out, I just increase my distance. I do the same if I see a vehicle covered in a snow that has managed to drive from an area that has snow when we don't have any. Not everyone has a place to park their vehicle that keeps it clean.

Unless you have an 18 wheeler you use a brush with a long arm or you use a step stool. It is your responsibility to clear it off. Not following closely isn't always an option if you live in a busy area. And you can be a good distance from a car/truck and still get slammed with ice flying off the back of it.

 

If you are going to drive in the snow, you are responsible for making your vehicle safe.

[Harriet Vane]

Huh. I grew up in Chicago, land of lake-effect snow. I don't think I have ever known anyone to clear the top of the car. I have always cleared up just far enough to reach easily. As I am driving I use the wipers to keep it clear. It's a pretty common sight to see cars with big pillow-tops of snow driving.

[Lolly]

Unless you have an 18 wheeler you use a brush with a long arm or you use a step stool. It is your responsibility to clear it off. Not following closely isn't always an option if you live in a busy area. And you can be a good distance from a car/truck and still get slammed with ice flying off the back of it.

 

If you are going to drive in the snow, you are responsible for making your vehicle safe.

 

brushing the snow off isn't going to do it. What about the ice that is holding the snow onto the vehicle? Brushing just clears a tiny bit. Maybe the difference is location? You have snow that will just brush off a vehicle???I find that very strange.

[bettyandbob]

Quit following so closely. 

 

We don't tend to get snow. When we do, we tend to just stay home. But, how would you go about removing snow from the tops of tall vehicles? How can you completely clean snow off of big trucks? I've had a large ice/snow chunk come off of a large truck, bounce down the road, and dent my van door before. I didn't fault the truck driver. I just considered it to be a hazard of driving, kind of like a deer. When it is snowy out, I just increase my distance. I do the same if I see a vehicle covered in a snow that has managed to drive from an area that has snow when we don't have any. Not everyone has a place to park their vehicle that keeps it clean.

 

 

I've been parking vehicles in a parking lot for 30 years. I live in a townhouse and have no garage. 

 

With my minivan, I open the doors and stand in the vehicle so I can reach over the roof. It is not that hard, but you can make excuses for not trying. 

 

I do not follow closely. One does not need to follow closely to get hit with a chunk of ice from someone else's roof. 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Quit following so closely. 

 

We don't tend to get snow. When we do, we tend to just stay home. But, how would you go about removing snow from the tops of tall vehicles? How can you completely clean snow off of big trucks? I've had a large ice/snow chunk come off of a large truck, bounce down the road, and dent my van door before. I didn't fault the truck driver. I just considered it to be a hazard of driving, kind of like a deer. When it is snowy out, I just increase my distance. I do the same if I see a vehicle covered in a snow that has managed to drive from an area that has snow when we don't have any. Not everyone has a place to park their vehicle that keeps it clean.

 

Uh, I wasn't following closely. We were on a highway doing 50-some miles per hour. That thing launched off their vehicle and sailed through the air for long enough for me to see it coming but not long enough for me to swerve out of the way. 

 

If I can clean off the top of my huge tank of a minivan and my dad can clean off the top of his big truck, other people can too. You can buy snow brushes that have a long handle, and you do what I do--you stand in the open car door frame and push the snow and ice off the opposite side. It's not hard, and to not do it is just lazy, particularly in our area, where we DO get a lot of snow, and people do drive in it.

[Pawz4me]

We don't get all that much snow here, but my experience has been that the people who don't clean off their vehicles are also the ones who are likely to be driving like maniacs.  So they come flying by you in the passing lane on the highway or interstate, with the snow and ice flying off.  Being careful with your own following distance does absolutely nothing to help in situations like that.

[6packofun]

We don't get all that much snow here, but my experience has been that the people who don't clean off their vehicles are also the ones who are likely to be driving like maniacs. 

 

Being short / lazy / in a hurry / not the owner of a long-handled brush at the moment to clean off the roof of a vehicle = maniacal driver ???  That's a leap.

[redsquirrel]

I do try to clean off the top, but I expect a certain amount of blowing snow from others. It happens.

 

My bigger concern is people in a hurry who scrape out a little peep hole on their not defrosted windshield or rear window. Come on people, you know you can't see a thing! I know it is cold and it can take a while for the windows to defrost, but that is part of living in a cold climate.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

We don't get all that much snow here, but my experience has been that the people who don't clean off their vehicles are also the ones who are likely to be driving like maniacs. So they come flying by you in the passing lane on the highway or interstate, with the snow and ice flying off. Being careful with your own following distance does absolutely nothing to help in situations like that.

.

 

I almost never clean off the top, I always drive at a safe distance and unless I am racing to the ER I do not drive like a maniac.

 

I rarely see folks clean off the top of their car. We get snow frequently.

[KungFuPanda]

Quit following so closely. 

 

We don't tend to get snow. When we do, we tend to just stay home. But, how would you go about removing snow from the tops of tall vehicles? How can you completely clean snow off of big trucks? I've had a large ice/snow chunk come off of a large truck, bounce down the road, and dent my van door before. I didn't fault the truck driver. I just considered it to be a hazard of driving, kind of like a deer. When it is snowy out, I just increase my distance. I do the same if I see a vehicle covered in a snow that has managed to drive from an area that has snow when we don't have any. Not everyone has a place to park their vehicle that keeps it clean.

Nope. Sorry. You are responsible for not throwing your ice at the other drivers. It's part of vehicle maintenance. If something fell off a commercial truck and hit you, I'll bet you'd sue if it caused an accident. You can clear the ice from the window that obstructs your view, but the ice that can cause someone else's accident is too much work? You may want to figure out how to do it, or get a smaller vehicle that you are able to maintain. It's one thing if you're driving out in a sparsely populated area, but if you're getting onto highways, and there is a high likelihood of that ice hitting another vehicle, and THAT vehicle causing a pile-up because they can't see, you need to get your brain around the fact that YOU are responsible for that pile-up.

[athomeontheprairie]

I'm so sorry you got hit by a giant piece of ice. that's never fun.

but I'm in the camp of its a hazard of living in a cold place with snow. while people *should* clean off their cars, many don't, and that's life.

I can't get mad at the people who drive down my road during the rainy season, can cover the road with the clumps of mud. it's a hazard of driving down the road. when we lived in the city, and a crowbar flew of the back of someone's truck or the hitch that popped off the back... I was frustrated, but those are hazardous looking around lots of other people. It's an accident. But intentional. Driving brings its own set of problems.

again I am sorry that you got hit by ice. it can be scary and its frustrating and annoying and dangerous.

[swellmomma]

Clearing the tops off your vehicle is not generally done here.  Heck as a joke to get rid of the snow at the gas station the guys shovelled a bunch of it onto the roof of another guy's car (one of my customer's at the diner) so that it would get scattered around as he drove.  We clear windows and the seam of the door so your seat doesn't get covered in snow when you open the door and that's about it.  Anyone driving on the highway after a fresh snow fall gives more space and keeps their wipers on.  Blowing snow whether from roof tops or kicked up by the wheels is part of driving in the winter.  It does not mean the drivers are maniacal drivers, it just means it's freaking snow and not the end of the world. 

[bettyandbob]

If you live somewhere real cold I imagine the snow will stay snow and stream off. That's less of a hazard. Where I live defrosting and refreezing results in chunks of ice. Chunks of ice hitting your car is a hazard that is easily preventable by the driver of vehicle from which the ice came. 

 

Another poster mentioned crow bars and trailer hitches. These are also easily preventable by the owners of those vehicles. You are responsible for making sure your vehicle is safe on the road for you and other drivers. So secure your tools, check the trailer hitch, clear the ice, secure anything in the truck bed because you are responsible for any accident that stuff from your vehicle causes. Whether or not you are caught is another issue--you are still responsible. 

[SproutMamaK]

I absolutely understand getting rid of snow - it's pretty simple with a long brush (and to be honest I've never seen stores sell brushes that AREN'T long up here in Canada, lol).

 

I've never understood the idea of getting rid of ice, though. I mean, I know that when I'm behind a vehicle and the ice detaches from teh roof and comes flying off, it's terrifying. However as I driver, I also recognize that there's really nothing that can be done. I mean... it's ice. It's frozen on there. The only way to get it off would be to stand on top of my van and take a pickaxe to the roof, lol. It naturally detaches while driving because the vehicle heats up and thaws the ice that's touching the metal roof, but that can take a long time. I get that it would be great if ice weren't a problem, but I don't think there's really any way to NOT have to deal with the occasional flying sheet of ice in the winter.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

If you live somewhere real cold I imagine the snow will stay snow and stream off. That's less of a hazard. Where I live defrosting and refreezing results in chunks of ice. Chunks of ice hitting your car is a hazard that is easily preventable by the driver of vehicle from which the ice came. 

 

This. I wasn't hit by white, fluffy snow. I was hit by a two-three day old chunk of ice and slush. It's the law here that you have to clean the top of your car, just like you have to clean off all your windows--to protect you AND the people around you. 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I absolutely understand getting rid of snow - it's pretty simple with a long brush (and to be honest I've never seen stores sell brushes that AREN'T long up here in Canada, lol).

 

I've never understood the idea of getting rid of ice, though. I mean, I know that when I'm behind a vehicle and the ice detaches from teh roof and comes flying off, it's terrifying. However as I driver, I also recognize that there's really nothing that can be done. I mean... it's ice. It's frozen on there. The only way to get it off would be to stand on top of my van and take a pickaxe to the roof, lol. It naturally detaches while driving because the vehicle heats up and thaws the ice that's touching the metal roof, but that can take a long time. I get that it would be great if ice weren't a problem, but I don't think there's really any way to NOT have to deal with the occasional flying sheet of ice in the winter.

 

If you clean the snow off your car before it turns to ice, you don't have that problem. Around here, at least, a couple inches of snow turn into ice because they sit in the sun (or get warmed by the warmed up car), and then the whole mess freezes when the temps drop again. 

[SproutMamaK]

If you clean the snow off your car before it turns to ice, you don't have that problem. Around here, at least, a couple inches of snow turn into ice because they sit in the sun (or get warmed by the warmed up car), and then the whole mess freezes when the temps drop again. 

 

Up here, that would mean literally living outside and brushing off your car every 5 minutes, and that's on the assumption that the ice isn't due to freezing rain (in which case there's nothing to be done anyway). Snow falls, it touches something that (for the moment) is warmer than it is, and it instantly melts, then cools back down very quickly. It takes a couple minutes, if that.

[LuvToRead]

Quit following so closely. 

 

We don't tend to get snow. When we do, we tend to just stay home. But, how would you go about removing snow from the tops of tall vehicles? How can you completely clean snow off of big trucks? I've had a large ice/snow chunk come off of a large truck, bounce down the road, and dent my van door before. I didn't fault the truck driver. I just considered it to be a hazard of driving, kind of like a deer. When it is snowy out, I just increase my distance. I do the same if I see a vehicle covered in a snow that has managed to drive from an area that has snow when we don't have any. Not everyone has a place to park their vehicle that keeps it clean.

 

But, you don't even have to be following a vehicle to be hit by their debris.  Several years ago, something flew (not ice) off an oncoming vehicle, and knocked us off the road.  Or what about a car that decides to pass?.  What if you are on a 4 lane highway, and in the next lane and something flies off.  There are many reasons people may be hit by flying debris and not be following too closely.  I speak from experience.  

[Kalmia]

A broom can reach all the way across the top of most cars, vans, and SUVs in one swipe. So with 5-10 swipes (standing in the doorsill if you have too), you are safe for the road.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Up here, that would mean literally living outside and brushing off your car every 5 minutes, and that's on the assumption that the ice isn't due to freezing rain (in which case there's nothing to be done anyway). Snow falls, it touches something that (for the moment) is warmer than it is, and it instantly melts, then cools back down very quickly. It takes a couple minutes, if that.

 

Well, like I said, around here, our winter weather happens a bit differently. Somehow, in my 30 years of cleaning off/driving cars, I've managed to never have ice accumulate on the roof of my car. It's possible here, and it's a law for a reason. I'm also not talking about the thin sheet of ice you get from freezing rain--I'm talking about the 8 inches of snow we just got, and the people who don't clean their car off right away, so tomorrow, when they're driving to work, they're creating a hazard for other drivers. I don't really understand why there's such fierce opposition to this concept  :confused1:  It's 5 extra minutes of work to possibly keep another driver--or yourself, if that stuff starts sliding around on your own car--a little safer. 

[Spryte]

I'm fairly sure I live near the OP, and we are frequently reminded to clear the tops of our cars on the local news - radio and TV. So this isn't something totally unusual, it's something that is pounded into our heads each time it snows. And it may be a law in our state, I'm not sure. I haven't worried about it, as generally I clear the entire car, too.

 

FWIW, we are not in a super snowy area. We get snow, but it's infrequent enough (like once or twice a year) that most of us forget how to drive in it! Well, not all of us. Not me, of course. :P Any help in the form of thorough scraping is good, and helps prevent some of our notorious traffic. Traffic is a huge issue here, and dodging flying chunks of ice often isn't possible. A few seconds of not being able to see isn't good either, nor are large chunks of ice in driving lanes. If nothing else it adds onto the building traffic. Following less closely doesnt work well because even on a sunny day, someone will always be cutting into one's safe space.

 

A few years ago a snowstorm here created such back ups that commutes normally taking an hour stretched to 6! Aaack. It was a mess.

 

I am not even 5 feet, btw. I somehow clear the roof (unless only going one block to the grocery store!).

[SproutMamaK]

I don't really understand why there's such fierce opposition to this concept  :confused1:  It's 5 extra minutes of work to possibly keep another driver--or yourself, if that stuff starts sliding around on your own car--a little safer. 

 

I'm guessing the opposition is because it seems to be an entirely different concept in your area than in others.  Up here it's not 5 minutes of work; it would literally be impossible without seriously damaging your vehicle. Of course people from the sort of climate that I'm from react badly to the insinuation that we're just terribly lazy, or reckless to the point of practically being drunk drivers by not clearing ice off our vehicles. If it were a simple "just grab a brush and swipe it off" it wouldn't be an issue. As it is, however, it's simply one of the hazards of winter driving.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I'm guessing the opposition is because it seems to be an entirely different concept in your area than in others.  Up here it's not 5 minutes of work; it would literally be impossible without seriously damaging your vehicle. Of course people from the sort of climate that I'm from react badly to the insinuation that we're just terribly lazy, or reckless to the point of practically being drunk drivers by not clearing ice off our vehicles. If it were a simple "just grab a brush and swipe it off" it wouldn't be an issue. As it is, however, it's simply one of the hazards of winter driving.

 

We must be reading different posts, because with the exception of you mentioning freezing rain, it sounds like most people have the kind of snow that can, in fact, be pushed, by brush or rubber scraper, off the top of the car, and people are choosing not to do it. That's the point of Betty's "PSA," which was to say, hey, if you don't do this, you should, because it can be dangerous not to. 

[redsquirrel]

A broom can reach all the way across the top of most cars, vans, and SUVs in one swipe. So with 5-10 swipes (standing in the doorsill if you have too), you are safe for the road.

 

That will knock off the snow. And I do own a telescoping brush to get the top of my car, or I use the shovel. I have lived in upstate NY most of my life and we know how to deal with snow. But none of that will get rid of ice. To get rid of ice that is frozen on the roof requires scraping. And it doesn't mean cleaning off the car before it freezes. Sometimes ice falls before the snow, sometimes it melts and freezes almost instantaneously. I take extra care when I see a car with a load of snow on top. However, I can't see ice because it is frozen flat to the roof.

 

Like mud and gravel etc it is part of driving down the road. Risk is part of life. Yes, everyone needs to take care, but we can't eliminate all risk or discomfort. I have seen some enormous 'carburgs' (the huge pieces of dirty snow that stick to the wheel well of a car) fly off cars. Those build up while driving and fly off when they get heavy. Again, that is a part of winter driving. Yes, you can kick them off when you are not driving, but they build up and fly off on their own. I guess you can make a law that says we all have to stop every 10 miles and clean out our wheel wells, but that doesn't seem very likely. Messy and dangerous roads are a part of driving. And we get angry at other drivers who don't take as much care as we think they should.

 

 

And I am sorry that ice flew at you. It is scary. Are you used to winter driving? I can imagine that not being used to winter driving would make it even worse. I only ask because this is the sort of thing that as an northerner feels like part of life. But if I were not used to winter driving conditions it might be extra aggravating. But, maybe not. Everyone is different.

 

My favorite is when people don't clean off the big heavy blanket of snow on their roof and then they stop at a stop sign and it all floomps down over their windshield. I live in an area with lots of non NE transplants and it is invariably a snow newbie with 6 inches of snow covering their windshield. They have to stop the car and get it off, holding up traffic etc. When I had to teach my kids about Newton's Laws they spontaneously mentioned seeing that. 

 

 

[sbgrace]

I'm confused. If it's snow that can be brushed off a car in 5 minutes, it's nothing that is going to damage a vehicle behind hitting it, right?

 

I thought we were talking about hunks of ice. That could be dangerous. And yet you certainly can't brush, or even safely hack, ice off a vehicle roof. At least here you can't. 

[Plink]

???  I am baffled by the confusion on this.  It is the law.  What is the big deal?  Turn on your car.  Brush off the snow.  Let the heat melt the ice while warming your engine and push it off.  Easy peasy.  

 

(I live in New England for the record)

[LuvToRead]

I'm confused. If it's snow that can be brushed off a car in 5 minutes, it's nothing that is going to damage a vehicle behind hitting it, right?

 

I thought we were talking about hunks of ice. That could be dangerous. And yet you certainly can't brush, or even safely hack, ice off a vehicle roof. At least here you can't. 

 

I think she meant it's dangerous if it obstructs your vision, even if just for a few seconds.  

[Dory]

Cleaning off the vehicle roof isn't something that's done around here. But then it would be a pretty constant job some weeks. Not to mention scraping some of that ice off would damage the vehicle. If it was such a thin amount that warming the vehicle would melt it off that would be different I suppose. We just give people more room and look jealously at the people that have clean cars because they can park them inside.

I'm less concerned by what blows off the top of the suburban in front of me than I am of the large chucks that fall off the bottom of the semi in front of me. There's nothing he can do about that, the truck just picks it up and drops it as he drives, but if I'm too close I'm left driving like a maniac in order to avoid it so I don't wreck the front of my car.

 

All part of winter driving. Turn the wipers on and stay back.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Chunks of ice (not just a coating of ice from freezing rain as these tend to break up easily into smaller, harmless chunks) and piles of snow are a hazard to other drivers. I've lived my entire life in the Chicago area.  I have always cleaned the top of my car and have instructed my children to do so.  The blowing snow off the top of a car can cause temporary white-out conditions for drivers behind that vehicle, which can lead to accidents.  Not only is it a hazard to following vehicles, in can be a hazard to you if that snow layer slides down over your own windshield while decelerating.    Large chunks of compacted frozen snow is also a hazard. 

 

It is the law that you are responsible for preventing things from falling off your vehicle.  A piece of metal falling off a truck then puncturing the gas tank of a vehicle behind it killed nearly an entire family.  This lead to the discovery of a licensing scandal that landed former Illinois governor George Ryan in jail. 

 

[datgh]

In NH it is the law especially for semi's because as the snow that is left thaws and freezes over a couple of days it becomes compacted and hard.  Get a warm day and travel down the highway with that on top and it will suddenly come flying off in big hunks.  People were killed here in NH which is what led to the law. I always make sure my roof is clean and sometimes that involves doing it a few times a week.  I look at it as common courtesy to other drivers who might be impacted if I don't. 

[Lolly]

I've been parking vehicles in a parking lot for 30 years. I live in a townhouse and have no garage. 

 

With my minivan, I open the doors and stand in the vehicle so I can reach over the roof. It is not that hard, but you can make excuses for not trying. 

 

I do not follow closely. One does not need to follow closely to get hit with a chunk of ice from someone else's roof. 

 

I can't even open the sliding doors to my minivan if it is cold outside and we have had precipitation. Trying to open them results in a piece inside breaking and a large bill to have it replaced so that they doors iwll operate again. I've had to do it twice already. I heard it start to go once this winter when I forgot and pulled the handle to open the door while the temp was down.

 

 

Uh, I wasn't following closely. We were on a highway doing 50-some miles per hour. That thing launched off their vehicle and sailed through the air for long enough for me to see it coming but not long enough for me to swerve out of the way. 

 

If I can clean off the top of my huge tank of a minivan and my dad can clean off the top of his big truck, other people can too. You can buy snow brushes that have a long handle, and you do what I do--you stand in the open car door frame and push the snow and ice off the opposite side. It's not hard, and to not do it is just lazy, particularly in our area, where we DO get a lot of snow, and people do drive in it.

 

I don't even have an ice scraper for the windshield. I don't have a snow shovel. No way am I going to put a ladder or step stool down on the driveway and climb up it when it is icy out. That would be like using a rolly chair as a step stool. I think the problem here is that you have a totally different snow than we do. Ours does not just brush off. If it did, it would have blown/slid off of the car by the time I got to the bottom of the driveway. I don't think you could find a snowbrush in a store here. Wouldn't be worth the money for them to carry them.

[Wheres Toto]

I absolutely understand getting rid of snow - it's pretty simple with a long brush (and to be honest I've never seen stores sell brushes that AREN'T long up here in Canada, lol).

 

I've never understood the idea of getting rid of ice, though. I mean, I know that when I'm behind a vehicle and the ice detaches from teh roof and comes flying off, it's terrifying. However as I driver, I also recognize that there's really nothing that can be done. I mean... it's ice. It's frozen on there. The only way to get it off would be to stand on top of my van and take a pickaxe to the roof, lol. It naturally detaches while driving because the vehicle heats up and thaws the ice that's touching the metal roof, but that can take a long time. I get that it would be great if ice weren't a problem, but I don't think there's really any way to NOT have to deal with the occasional flying sheet of ice in the winter.

 

Unfortunately, this is my experience.

 

A broom can reach all the way across the top of most cars, vans, and SUVs in one swipe. So with 5-10 swipes (standing in the doorsill if you have too), you are safe for the road.

 

I do try to remove all the ice and snow from the roof of my Suburban, but it's not always possible to get it completely cleared off.  I use a broom but it takes way more than 5 or 10 swipes, and the rack on top makes it even harder.  I do leave it warming up for quite a long time, although it's very slow to heat up these days.  I am not physically capable of climbing high enough to get every square inch of the roof completely cleared of ice and snow every single time.  I do what I can.

 

I also drive slowly and carefully in bad weather - heavy rain or snow - even though I'm in a hulking 4wd.

[Aelwydd]

If you clean the snow off your car before it turns to ice, you don't have that problem. Around here, at least, a couple inches of snow turn into ice because they sit in the sun (or get warmed by the warmed up car), and then the whole mess freezes when the temps drop again.

That's wonderful if it's in fact snow that's falling. Here in North Texas, we recently dealt with an ice storm the likes I had never seen before here, or when I lived on the east coast.

 

I work third shift, and so I was at work when the ice started falling. Since my work is considered critical 24/7, staying home was not an option. I took my ice scraper and cleaned my sedan rooftop every hour during my shift. I started my car and ran the defrost each time as well. All my efforts just meant I was able to pry open my car door without an ice pick. Idling for 45 minutes after my shift did not even begin to loosen the case of ice around my vehicle.

 

The ONLY way to remove that ice was to let it defrost in the garage at home. Not everyone has that option. Ice storms are extremely dangerous period, and ice flying off other peoples' cars was just another reason I wouldn't have gone out that week if I had had that option.

 

IMO, the "maniacal" drivers are the ones going out on icy roads for anything less than absolutely necessary reasons.

[poppy]

I live in Boston and it's common courtesy here. I don't know if it's a law. But it is NOT THAT HARD.  Get a broom.  Sheesh.

If it's a crazy ice storm or whatever, you deal with it as you have to.  But as a general policy, take a few minutes to not be a hazard to others . In other words, be a grownup.

[swellmomma]

IMO, the "maniacal" drivers are the ones going out on icy roads for anything less than absolutely necessary reasons.

 

haha, this made me actually lol  Apparently Canadians are all maniacal drivers.  if we never went out on icy roads the country would come to a stand still for 6-8 months of the year.  Sometimes the sanding trucks and plows can't keep up with it and folks still need to get to work, kids get to school, and life goes on.  We just know how to drive for the conditions, including icy roads.

[Aelwydd]

I live in Boston and it's common courtesy here. I don't know if it's a law. But it is NOT THAT HARD. Get a broom. Sheesh.

If it's a crazy ice storm or whatever, you deal with it as you have to. But as a general policy, take a few minutes to not be a hazard to others . In other words, be a grownup.

Are we talking about snow or ice here? In the north, where people have the knowledge and experience and the wherewithal to deal with it, or are we talking the south where it's a crapshoot as to whether local stores carry a supply of ice scapers for cars?

 

Because as someone who lived in Philly for 7 years and has lived in southern climes as well, it is not at all equal. What seems like common sense to you and me, wouldn't even occur to a lot of others. Texas doesn't even use rock salt on their roads, the state instead uses an impotent mix of sand and antifreeze chemicals that mostly just threatens the ground water supply when it washes of the unaffected frozen road surfaces.

 

Then, enter this new road hazard called cobblestone ice. If you hit one of the bridges with the stuff at more than 10 mph, you will likely lose complete control, and may lose a tire or the muffler to your car.

 

Point being, ice and snow on rooftops is peripheral to the veritable nightmare that is this area when winter weather hits. Of course I clear my car of snow, and as much ice as I can. However, I also kept my snow and ice scrapers when we moved down here. I grew up in an area that gets snow and ice every winter. Dh and I know what to do.

 

A lot of people down here don't have the same experience to deal with that kind of weather. So it's not simply an issue of people's maturity. I'd rather deal with 15+ inches of snow in Boston than 2 inches of ice here.

[Aelwydd]

haha, this made me actually lol Apparently Canadians are all maniacal drivers. if we never went out on icy roads the country would come to a stand still for 6-8 months of the year. Sometimes the sanding trucks and plows can't keep up with it and folks still need to get to work, kids get to school, and life goes on. We just know how to drive for the conditions, including icy roads.

Canadians are different, eh. ;)

 

They have super powers in cold weather. Although, my coworker's Canadian girlfriend told him point blank he was dumb to go out in that ice storm. She's from Regina. If that tells you anything about how dire the road conditions were.

[KungFuPanda]

My neighbors put a tarp on their van and just yank it off to remove snow and ice. I never think that far ahead :-/

[LucyStoner]

I live where snow that sticks is a 5 year event.  But I still own an ice scraper, a snow brush and tire chains.  I most certainly get rid of any snow on the top of my car.  One, I don't like it blinding ME when it slides over my windshield.  Two, it's just what you do for safety.  Three, it's the law and I don't like tickets and I have seen people get tickets for this. 

[swellmomma]

Canadians are different, eh. ;)

 

They have super powers in cold weather. Although, my coworker's Canadian girlfriend told him point blank he was dumb to go out in that ice storm. She's from Regina. If that tells you anything about how dire the road conditions were.

 

Well a major ice storm is different than icy roads imo so she was right lol.  I have driven to and from the enighboring town in a massive blizzard (as in white out driving conditions, doing 50 km/hr rather than the typical 110km/hr for a town meeting that got cancelled without me being told (I was to be doing a presentation at it).  I am on the highway a minimum of twice a day, more often 4-6 times a day, and unless it is a full ice storm as opposed to a freezing rain, blizzard etc I still head out.  But maybe winter driving is a Canadian super power.  Although it everyone tends to forget their skills that first snow fall of the year but that is a whole other issue.

[Aelwydd]

My neighbors put a tarp on their van and just yank it off to remove snow and ice. I never think that far ahead :-/

Hey now that's a great idea. I'm stealing it for the next Icecopocalypse. :P

[Mrs Mungo]

It is the law in many states. It was also the law when we lived in Germany. Seem like a pretty common law in places that get snow and ice.

[Χά�ων]

I have been on the highway and watched a big sheet of ice fly off the top of the car in front of me several different times. Each time there was enough room that it landed on the road in front of me and I drove on without issue nothing hit my car. I have to wonder about following distance to be honest.

[redsquirrel]

 

Then, enter this new road hazard called cobblestone ice. If you hit one of the bridges with the stuff at more than 10 mph, you will likely lose complete control, and may lose a tire or the muffler to your car.

 

 

 

What is that? Because I need another thing to worry about when driving. Black ice isn't scaring me enough these days. (that is a lie. Black ice terrifies me)

 

[LucyStoner]

My neighbors put a tarp on their van and just yank it off to remove snow and ice. I never think that far ahead :-/

 

I go to a 5:30AM outdoor fitness boot camp and since I like my sleep I am usually leaving in a big hurry and stopping to scrape the ice condensation is a PITA (which we do get quite a bit more than any snow) so I started laying a towel over my front and back windshield the night before if temps are supposed to drop into the low 30s or below.  Totally saves time.  And I totally stole it from some of my smarter than me neighbors. 

[Aelwydd]

It's an unholy amalgam of deeply pitted refrozen ice, sand, and slush. It formed primarily on bridges here. Ruts big enough to swallow a tire were carved into the surface so that the entire surface resembled what giant alien prairie dogs might live in on Neptune. Very big holes and ruts pockmarking the entire area. Even sixteen wheelers were getting stuck.

 

ETA: http://www.npr.org/2013/12/10/250012718/dallas-struggling-to-dig-out-from-winter-storm

[GSOchristie]

I have never seen anyone clean of the top of the car, nor have I heard it mentioned on the news.  We might have more than two inches of snow every five years, so maybe that's why.  It's never even crossed my mind.  Of course, I park in the garage, so I don't have snow on the top of my car anyway :).  

 

This is from the NCDOT, so I'm guessing it's not the law here.

Winter Weather Driving

If travel is absolutely necessary, motorists should use the following precautions:

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Ice and Snow


Truck Inspection


Living on Call

• Clear windows and mirrors;
• Reduce speed and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles;
• Maintain a safe following distance behind brine application trucks, and plow and spreader trucks;
• Bridges and overpasses accumulate ice first. Approach them with extreme caution and do not apply your brakes while on the bridge;
• If you begin to slide, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide. Do not apply the brakes as that will cause further loss of control of the car;
• If you have a cellular phone, take it with you; you can contact the Highway Patrol statewide by calling HP (*47) or call the county emergency center by dialing 911; and
• Come to a complete stop or yield the right of way when approaching an intersection where traffic lights are out. Treat this scenario as a four-way stop.