State needs tougher law on ‘ice missiles’

It may be difficult right now for folks in this part of Pennsylvania to focus on an issue relating to winter storms, but there’s legislation in Harrisburg that demands our attention, and it has to do with ice and snow.

So far we’ve dodged stormy winter weather this season, but eventually our luck will run out, whether it’s in the coming weeks or next winter. And when we do experience heavy snow and ice, a dangerous problem will rear its ugly head again.

They’re called “ice missiles” — the frozen sheets or blocks of snow and ice that fly off roofs of moving cars and trucks that have not been properly cleaned after a storm.

These flying chunks of ice endanger other motorists by hitting their vehicles and potentially smashing the windshield. They also can lead drivers to swerve and create the risk of serious accidents. In either case, there’s a serious risk of injury or death associated with these hazards.

Right now Pennsylvania’s ice missile law allows people to ticket drivers between $200 and $1,000 if snow or ice strikes another car or person and causes serious injury or death. State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh, has spent years trying to expand the law to require drivers to clear accumulated ice and snow and establish fines for violators, even when no one gets injured. She was moved to pursue the issue after a flying chunk of ice killed a woman in her district in 2005.

Boscola’s proposal, Senate Bill 114, is making some headway this legislative term. The Senate passed it 49-0 in the fall, and the House Transportation Committee has advanced an amended version

The amended version covers cars, trucks, mass transit vehicles and school buses. Enforcement would be limited to highways.

Drivers would be required to make reasonable efforts to remove snow or ice from all parts of their vehicles within 24 hours of a weather event. Offenders would face a maximum fine of $1,500 if the wintry precipitation on their vehicles caused serious injury or death. The amended version also allows police to ticket drivers $50 for failure to clear snow or ice before taking to the roads.

The most significant opposition to Boscola’s legislation has come from the trucking industry. Advocates for commercial vehicle operators argue that it’s unsafe to climb to the top of a big rig and clear snow or ice. In response, the House version of the bill would excuse truck drivers if they are on their way to a facility to remove accumulated snow or ice. In addition, violations would not be issued if compliance would cause the trucker to violate any federal or state law or regulation regarding workplace safety, or if it would be a health or safety threat.

It’s fair to acknowledge the difficulty truck drivers have in this situation while still reinforcing the idea that removing snow and ice must be a high priority. Some of the most dangerous situations with ice missiles come from tractortrailers. As for drivers of passenger vehicles, they have absolutely no excuse for failing to remove ice and snow from their vehicles. If conditions are suitable for driving, then they’re suitable for taking the steps to make a vehicle safe to operate.

The bottom line is that all motorists need a stronger incentive to clear snow and ice from their vehicles before they hit the road. If the threat of a ticket is what it takes, we’re all for it.

“Hopefully, it would increase public awareness and make people more vigilant about clearing snow and ice from their vehicles,” Boscola has said of her legislation.

We agree. The senator has come up with an eminently sensible idea that promises to enhance public safety. We urge lawmakers to get this enacted before the next big winter storm to hit our area. If they and we are lucky and we get through the rest of this winter unscathed, they’ll have the better part of a year to accomplish that.