When motorists become alarmed by gusts of snow or sheets of ice flying off trucks on Connecticut roadways, they'll have a remedy: Call the police.
Starting with the new year, state law requires truck drivers who head out on Connecticut roads to first clear snow mounds and caked-on ice from their vehicles. They face a $75 fine if they're caught violating the law, and much stiffer penalties if winter mess flies off their truck in traffic and damages a car.
It took more than three years, but Connecticut has joined the states that forbid commercial drivers from zooming around while their vehicles are still coated with potentially hazardous layers of ice and accumulated snow.
"This is a law meant to protect citizens and motorists from these elements that can be very dangerous when coming off traveling trucks on our highways and streets," state Motor Vehicles Commissioner Melody Currey said.
Police in Connecticut already are empowered to hand out $75 tickets for car drivers and other non-commercial motorists who operate vehicles laden with snow and ice. But the law hasn't applied to truckers, who argue that it's dangerous -- and sometimes impossible -- to climb 13-foot-high tractor trailers to clear the roof.
As with many state legislatures around the country, that argument carried some weight in Connecticut -- but not enough to scrap the new law. Instead, lawmakers who passed statute 14-252a in 2010 agreed to keep it from taking effect until the start of 2014. That was intended to give the trucking industry time to develop equipment or strategies to deal with the tough job of clearing huge trailers after a storm.
But now the grace period is over. Not only does the $75 fine take effect starting Jan 1., but there are also penalties for causing injuries or property damage because of snow and ice are blowing off a vehicle. Commercial drivers face a fine of $500 to $1,250. The $75 fine doesn't apply to vehicles that are parked or to those that are already on the road when a storm begins.
Connecticut state police did not return a call for comment about the new law.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the states that have adopted similar measures. Enforcement isn't necessarily vigorous, though. Last January, The Jersey Journal newspaper reported that the New Jersey law led to just 4,755 citations between 2009 and 2013. Some police in that state said they'd prefer to warn the driver -- and get the snow and ice cleared off during the traffic stop -- instead of writing a summons.
In New Hampshire, there is no specific law on the matter. But police and troopers may charge drivers for negligent driving -- operating in a way that endangers or is likely to endanger another person or property. Fines run from $250 to $500.
"Large amounts of snow accumulating on a vehicle or trailer often melts and refreezes over time causing build-up of ice that can often damage vehicles when falling from a vehicle," New Hampshire's state police say in an annual notice to truck drivers. "Early removal of the snow after a snowstorm is the best way to prevent such ice from accumulating."
The New Hampshire police also emphasize that all drivers should leave extra room behind large trucks to give themselves enough time to react if snow or ice comes off the vehicle ahead.
