New Pennsylvania law requiring snow and ice removal from vehicles now in effect

A new law requiring drivers to remove snow and ice from vehicles is now in effect in Pennsylvania.

In July 2022,  Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed “Christine’s Law,” a bill that was introduced by Senator Lisa Boscola requiring drivers to remove ice or snow from their vehicles within 24 hours following heavy winter storms. The law went into effect 60 days after it was signed into law.

The bill strengthened previous ice and snow removal laws that only allowed for the penalization of a driver if snow or ice falling from their vehicle resulted in serious bodily harm.

“Christine’s Law would be more proactive, giving police officers discretion to pull over a vehicle where the buildup of ice or snow poses a potential hazard,” Boscola said.

The bill is named for Christine Lambert, who died on Christmas Day in 2005 after a large piece of ice dislodged from a passing box truck and crashed through her windshield.

“The goal of Christine’s Law is to increase public awareness and make people more vigilant about clearing snow and ice from their vehicles so that the tragedy that befallen to the Lamberts don’t happen to other families,” said Boscola.

Snow and ice removal has been a controversial topic in the trucking community for years. Most drivers will admit that failure to remove snow and ice could pose a safety risk, but they also point out that it is unsafe and sometimes not possible to get on top of the trailer to remove it. Some companies and locations offer “snow blades” to help safely remove snow from the top of the trailer, but these aren’t always available for many truck drivers.