Child struck by car after driver failed to clear frosty windshield

A child was hit by a vehicle last week after the driver failed to clear frost from their windshield, obscuring their view of the road.

The Tsawwassen incident prompted Delta police to issue a safety reminder via Twitter on Monday to drivers who might otherwise be inclined to drive off with frost still on the glass on colder days.

“I think perhaps people are getting ready to go to work, they don’t want to be late, so they tell themselves, ‘Well, it will defrost on my way to work and I’ll be fine by the time I hit the busy roads,’ ” said Delta police spokeswoman Cris Leykauf.

“We really do caution people, before you leave your driveway, make sure your windows are cleared of snow, ice, anything that might be obstructing your view, and of course, that they’re defrosted properly.”

The collision took place last Wednesday around 8:45 a.m.

According to police, a 10-year-old was in a crosswalk on 16th Avenue when a westbound vehicle struck the child.

“Emergency Health Services (workers) did attend the scene, but the child was determined not to have suffered any sort of significant injuries, and the child was released back to the mother,” said

Leykauf.

When officers attended the scene, they noticed the vehicle’s windows were still frosted over and subsequently issued the motorist a violation ticket for driving while their view was obscured.

Under the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act Section 195 (1) (b), it’s illegal to drive a car if the driver’s view is obscured in any way, including by frosted windshields.

Vehicles are also required to have working windshield wipers that can adequately clear rain, snow or other moisture.

The fine for driving without clearing the frost off your windshield, or without ensuring your view is unobstructed, is$109.

While the West Coast may not see as many frosty days as other parts of Canada, there are still mornings when B.C. drivers are greeted by frost after waking up, and they need to adequately clear their windshields on those days, said Leykauf.

“Just leave yourself enough time to make sure you and everyone else on the road gets to their destination safely,” she said. “This could have ended much differently, and we’re fortunate in this case that the child was OK.”