CLEAN SNOW & ICE FROM YOUR VEHICLE

With the winter season hitting us very early this year, now seems a good time to remind our friends that while many Canadian drivers are guilty of not fully scraping their windows or clearing their cars of snow before taking to the road, that bad habit could cost you.

Very few drivers can say they’ve never leaned over their steering wheel and peered through the small section of clear windshield, too impatient to wait for the defroster to complete its job. An extra few minutes is all it takes. Not only will you be safer in general, it just might save you several hundred dollars.

If an officer catches you driving with an obstructed windshield, you can be ticketed with a fine $85 plus a $25 surcharge. The same goes for your licence plate and side view mirrors.

That ticket will also impact your insurance premiums.

And while you can “technically” get away with not brushing all the snow off the top of your car, if snow or ice from your vehicle flies off and hits somebody’s windshield, causing an accident, there will be repercussions. You may not get charged, but you could be listed as indirectly responsible and insurance companies will consider that when determining fault.