Can You Get Fined for Not Clearing Snow and Ice Off Your Car in Massachusetts?

With the recent batch of snow and ice we received in the Berkshires, it's pretty obvious everything outside got covered in this blanket. It's also to take note that if you are new to the Berkshires, looking at the calendar for actual season changes is not an option since it's not perfectly in sync. Every year after a storm, we have to do what most of us hate which brush the snow off our vehicles. We do it so we can see right? But what if I don't brush my car off? Can I get fined?

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Here at the station, we usually don't clear our vehicles unless they're actually needed for station events since we mostly commute in our personal vehicles. The short answer is Yes, a police officer can pull you over if your vehicle is covered in snow or ice while driving on a public road in Massachusetts.

Clear snow from your car or get pulled over, state police warn drivers, MassLive.com, March 2018.
"In Massachusetts, police can use a couple of statutes to enforce snow-clearing. ...officers can issue a $40 fine for impeded operation if a driver has obstructed windows and a $200 fine for driving with an unsecured load, which can include heavy sheets of snow or ice on a car's roof." - Mass.gov

Even though Massachusetts doesn't have a specific law regarding this, it still falls under the category of "impeded operation" sort of like in my other article "Is It Illegal To Hang Christmas Lights on Your Car in Massachusetts?"