If Snow Falls Off Your Car and Hits Another in Ohio, Brace for Fines and Charges
The first real snow in Ohio always tells on people. You see the drivers who planned ahead with clean roofs and clear glass. Then you see the rolling igloos, chugging along with five inches of powder hanging on for dear life. It may seem harmless…until a sheet of that stuff flies off at highway speed and smacks your windshield.
In Ohio, that moment can turn a hurried winter drive into a legal and financial headache.
State law doesn’t ban driving with snow on your roof. It does ban driving an “unsafe” vehicle, and that’s where the trouble starts
Ohio Revised Code Section 4513.02 gives police officers authority to stop any vehicle they believe could endanger someone.
If snow or ice slides off your car and damages another vehicle, the state considers that a preventable hazard. Officers can charge the at-fault driver with a minor misdemeanor. Fines can reach about $170.
That’s not a budget buster, but it’s also not the only cost. Cause a crash and you’re looking at an insurance claim that pays for the other car’s damages and medical bills. Expect your premium to rise after.
Bick’s Driving School instructor Andy Hamrick spends winter days watching people rush out the door with half-clean cars
He told the ABC affiliate in Cincinnati, WCPO 9, that snow on a hood can blow straight onto your windshield when you accelerate. Snow on the roof can whip off the back and blind the driver behind you. Cleaning your car off before you start down the road is really about safety.
Hamrick told the station that Ohio drivers should clear every bit of glass, plus headlights, taillights, and the license plate light. That takes time, yes; sometimes double or triple what you expected.
Most of us hate that answer, but he’s right. The law doesn’t care if you’re late. And physics definitely doesn’t care, either.
Hamrick reminded drivers to slow down in winter, take longer to brake, and treat turns with respect. He recommended propping your wipers up so they don’t freeze to the windshield. Be patient with other drivers.
Ohio winters reward preparation
A brush, an ice scraper, and five extra minutes in the morning can save you a fine, a claim, and a tense roadside chat with a trooper. Clean the snow off, folks.
