Conn. Issues 230 Tickets Under Snow-Removal Law

Connecticut law enforcement officers have issued 230 tickets to truckers and other motorists who failed to remove snow and ice from the roofs of their vehicles.

Tickets carry $120 fines for motorists, which means the state has issued $27,600 worth of them since the law took effect Jan. 1, the Associated Press reported Feb. 17. Connecticut has had 12 major snowstorms this year.

The so-called “ice missile” law is designed to reduce the chances that ice would fly off a vehicle and hit another one. It was passed in 2010. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have similar laws.

Mike Riley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, told AP the law is difficult for truckers because there are few options for removing snow and ice from the roof of a tall vehicle.

“It's a big challenge,” Riley said.

Commercial drivers in the state face $500 fines if snow or ice falls off their vehicles and damages another one or causes a crash.