Connecticut State Police said they are not yet issuing tickets to truckers who fail to clean snow and ice from their vehicles in order to give the drivers time to adapt to the new law.
The law that took effect Dec. 31 says truckers who cause injury or damage because they failed to remove snow or ice from their vehicles could be fined up to $1,250. It carries a fine of $75 for any driver who does not remove snow and ice from his or her car or truck.
As of Jan. 7, the department had issued 18 tickets to car drivers who failed to clean their vehicles, State Police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance said.
For truckers passing through Connecticut, however, the state wants to make sure that they are aware of the new law. “We want to make sure the education process has taken place . . . give them time to make plans that when they come into our state they have the ability to clean the truck off,” Vance said. He did not specify a date when officers would begin giving truckers tickets.
Connecticut lawmakers approved the snow-removal bill signed by then-Gov. Jodi Rell (R) in 2010, making the state the second in the country to pass such a law.
In 2009, New Jersey became the first state with such a snow-removal law. Fines in that state for failing to remove snow or ice run from $25 to $75.
