ASSEMBLY, No. 1684

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 4, 1996

By Assemblymen PASCRELL, RUSSO, Felice, Assemblywoman Weinberg and Assemblyman Zisa

An Act concerning the removal of snow and ice from motor vehicles and supplementing chapter 4 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. It shall be unlawful to operate any motor vehicle, as defined in R.S.39:1-1, on the streets or highways of this State if the vehicle has an accumulation of snow or ice, or any combination thereof, in excess of one-half inch in thickness upon any exterior surface.

    b. A violation of this act shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50 or more than $100.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill is directed toward those motorists who insist on driving with accumulations of ice and snow on the tops of their vehicles. When their vehicles reach highway speed these accumulations are prone to hurtle into the air, posing a peril to other drivers. A number of serious accidents and even death have resulted when vehicles are struck by chunks of this ice and snow.

    This bill seeks to reduce this hazard by imposing a penalty on those who create it by their negligence in failing to clear accumulated snow and ice from their vehicles. The bill makes it unlawful to operate any motor vehicle in this State if there is an accumulation of one-half inch or more on any exterior surface of the vehicle. Violators would be subject to a fine of not less than $50 or more than $100.

Requires removal of ice, snow from motor vehicles.