ANNAPOLIS – It was still dark that January morning when Anne Arundel County Deputy Sheriff Robert Werner drove down Route 97 and saw the sheet of ice hurtling toward his windshield from two cars ahead.
“I saw it coming, so I braced for it,’’ Werner recalled.
He gripped the wheel, steering the car to safety on the right side of the highway, then carefully drove two miles to the police department.
Werner and some Maryland lawmakers support a measure aimed at addressing the problem of dangerous icy projectiles saying it could improve safety on the roads. The bipartisan “Clear Before You Drive Act” would require people to clear snow and ice off their vehicles before operating or towing them.
“We should and we must have legislation that addresses visibility and hazards of ice and snow on moving vehicles,” said Del. Edith Patterson, D-Charles, the lead sponsor of the bill.
The House unanimously passed the bill earlier this month. A Senate version has been referred to a committee.
Under the bill, people would be required to clear their vehicle’s hood, trunk, windshield, windows and roof of snow and ice. If not, they could be fined $25 to $200 for a noncommercial vehicle based on the number of offenses. They could be fined up to $1,000 if ice or snow contributes to property damage or serious bodily injury.
The fines are steeper for commercial vehicles.
“It would not allow law enforcement to just pull people over willy-nilly, only a secondary offense unless your failure to do so caused a crash,” said Del. Marc Korman, D-Montgomery, chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee.
Korman said the measure may encourage people to be more mindful.
“Some may say that this is legislating common courtesy,’’ he said. “But really what we’re trying to do is not only have government accountability… but also having personal accountability. That’s what this bill does.”
Werner called the bill a step in the right direction.
“I just want to see people safe out here and this is one way we can do it,” he said.
Werner suffered facial injuries. He also had cuts on his hands and arms, and a bruise on his shoulder. He said without his police training he believes the injuries could have been worse.
“Had it been an inexperienced driver they probably would have crashed,” said Werner.
Patterson pointed to the major snowstorm in late January as another reason for the bill.
“It became crystal clear what can happen when you have ice and snow and people are driving,” she said.
Patterson said the legislation is modeled after “Christine’s Law’’ in Pennsylvania. The law authorizes local police to fine drivers if they don’t make “reasonable efforts” to clear snow and ice from their vehicle within 24 hours of a snowstorm before operating it.
The Pennsylvania law is named after Christine Lambert, who was struck and killed by an icy projectile that fell off a tractor-trailer on Christmas Day 2005. The projectile smashed through her windshield and struck Lambert in the head.
There are similar laws in other states, including New Hampshire and New Jersey, according to the American Trucking Association.
The Maryland Motor Truck Association had concerns about language in the state bill.
“We do agree that this does create a dangerous situation for all vehicles with failure to remove snow and ice,” said Louis Campion, the association president. “The challenge that we have for our industry is the extreme difficulty of removing snow and ice from vehicles.”
Campion cited a 2008 report from the American Transportation Research Institute outlining the danger truckers face from slips and falls if they climb on top of their trucks to remove ice and snow. There are no established technologies for clearing the tops of trucks, according to Campion.
Campion said he worked with Patterson to add amendments to the bill, including making a reasonable effort to clear the ice and allowing for some exceptions for vehicles that are hard to clear. Another amendment would allow exceptions for people who would be in danger clearing their vehicle or violate workplace safety rules. They also added an amendment to ensure that the same vehicle cannot be cited more than once in a 24-hour period.
Patterson said she reached out to lobbyists and associations like Campions to work together on amendments.
“This is a safety issue and everyone knows that it is needed,” she said.
CNS news reporter Rhiannon Evans contributed to this story.