Is Driving A Snow-Covered Car Illegal In Colorado?
Running late because you forgot to set your alarm is never fun. Winter in Colorado makes this even worse as you have to skip half of your routine and rush out into the cold. Outside you find your car is covered in snow and ice. What do you do next?
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You have to clear the snow off the car first, right? Or were you going to drive off without clearing the windshield? Is it illegal to drive around in a snow-covered vehicle in Colorado? What does the law say?
Driving With Snow On Your Car
Occasionally during the winter months, I see a few cars with frost-covered windshields headed toward Grand Junction High School. The windshield only has a small circle of defrosted glass available for the driver's eyes to peek out.
Driving with a frost/ice-covered windshield is not a safe decision, and neither is driving in a car that is still covered in snow.
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What Does Colorado Law Say?
There is no specific state law in Colorado that says you must clean snow and ice off your car, but each county may respond differently to your snow-covered car as it drives through town. Colorado Revised Statute (CRS) 42-4-201 says a driver's vision through all required glass equipment must be normal and unobstructed to operate the vehicle.
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Avoid Creating Projectiles
If you are pulled over for driving down Main Street with a snow-covered windshield, at least try to remember the officer is just looking out for your safety and the safety of others. Snow and ice on the roof of the car can shift and melt creating projectiles that could endanger others, or it could cause snow to slide down onto the windshield obscuring the driver's vision.
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Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams
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Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams