The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

True or false?

This is from a driver protect group.

We've had reports from Members that Police in parts of the country are issuing Fixed Penalty Notices for having snow on your roof.

I've done a search and cannot find it reported on any major news source, but there are a number of forums discussing it.

The thinking is that it is dangerous if the snow falls off and obscures the visibility for the car behind.

In my opinion this thinking is completely flawed because:

a) it's unrealistic in this snowstorm to completely clear your car of snow before driving off -- there's 2ft of snow where I am in Kent!;

b) people are driving around at 10mph on roads that are covered in snow -- excess snow on cars is hardly about to fly off uncontrollably at that speed;

c) the vision of other cars is ALREADY obscured and - in the most case - peoples driving is accounting for the poor visibility.

I've just got off the phone to our head Lawyer, Matthew Coxall, and we have agreed that DriveProtect will give advice to Members and if necessary represent at Court if you are issued with an FPN for 'snow on the roof' during this cold snap.

Stay safe on the road,

Well a few years ago the police were stopping cars in Devon and checking the emissions and grabbing money for their pensions in the form of fines if the car failed, so I would not put it past the blighters to pull a stunt like this, but it does seem a step too far.............but hey eating a sandwich in a sationary car in a queue has attracted the pension boosters so its possible.

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track action maniac.

The lunatic is out................heres Jonny!

That law is in effect in Massachussetts, not sure how much it's enforced, but i don't take any chances and clear the snow off my car with a broom. For once I actually think it's an OK traffic law as getting a bunch of snow and ice fly off the car/truck in front on the highway can be very alarming. Lock em up I say.

Cheers
Mark

it is an offence but I doubt very much that the police are ringnetting people just for this maybe a few peple have been stopped, cautioned or ticketted but I would think it is more likely that the offenders have snow covering thier head/ tail lights or obsuring their vision rather than just having snow on the roof.

Yes I know what you mean Justyn I was amazed at several people this morning who had not cleared their headlamps.
I would indeed fine people who do not clear their windows if I was the law.
I did see the boys in blue today in their landrover , in fact I let them out of a junction as I thought they were busier than me as I was crawling to work.
I can see a problem if the roof has ice and the car is on a motorway.

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track action maniac.

The lunatic is out................heres Jonny!

I am led to understand that they are more concerned about the snow sliding forward under braking and obscuring the driver's forward vision.

Its a shame that the authorities are forced to resort to fining people for having no imagination or common sense but, then again, think of it as a tax on the stupid and it all seems much more worthy.

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Vindicator Sprint, Honda Fireblade RRX 919cc, re-powered by AB Performance. Quick.

I would just argue that the snow had accumulated on the roof during the jam that the police had failed to clear and therfore not my fault....

Jonners

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Note from Admin: sadly Jon passed away in February 2018 but his humour and wealth of knowledge will be fondly remembered by all. RIP Jonners.

If issuing fixed penalty tickets involved the money going into my pension, I do believe I would have issued about a million for any insignificant offences that I could lay eyes on As of course they don't contribute to my pension,in any way shape or form I have never been that bothered with them, unless someone had done something outrageous. I certainly haven't heard about issuing a fine for that particular reason where I work

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/police-snow- ... hoax.shtml
False. Shame really.

Plod should stick to solving crimes or catchiing uninsured drivers. If they must spend time on non-criminal activities they should stop people fom driving in the weather who haven't got a clue.

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Mark

1961 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon
1980 Dolomite Sprint project using brand new shell
2009 Mazda MX5 2.0 Sport
2018 Infiniti Q30

well spotted Oli, I didnt see that earlier when i cheacked HS and Snopes.

strange quote there mark!
are you saying police should not stop people driving a vehicle that may cause a danger to other road users?

I can't take credit for that one Justyn, someone on another place (that I don't actually like, but some of the stuff there is actually quite cool, inbetween the arguments) spotted it, I just forwarded it here.

Book them. I've seen it happen often enough, a car brakes and the whole lot of snow on the roof collapses onto the windscreen. The driver is blind and still travelling forwards.
Eeejits.

It's in the highway code, too:

Rule 229 of the Highway Code: "remove all snow that might fall off into the path of other road users".