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Legislative Watch
LEGISLATIVE

New Jersey

6/29/09-In the span of only a few hours the Legislature overwhelmingly backed a push to get tough with drivers who fail to clear snow and ice off their vehicles. The rule would apply to commercial and non-commercial vehicles.
Assembly lawmakers voted unanimously to approve the bill that would permit police to pull over drivers whose vehicles were not cleared of snow and ice. Shortly thereafter the Senate signed off on changes to the bill on a 35-0 vote. The sweeping approval cleared the way for the bill to advance to Gov. Jon Corzine’s desk for his signature.
State law now prohibits car and truck drivers from being fined for driving a snowcapped vehicle. However, if a piece of ice falls from a vehicle and causes injury or property damage, car drivers face fines between $200 and $1,000, while truck drivers could be fined $500 to $1,500.
S520 would make drivers responsible for making “all reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow” from the hood, trunk and roof of the motor vehicle, truck cab, trailer or intermodal freight container.
Violators would face fines between $25 and $75. No points would be assessed against the driver’s license.
Drivers would not be liable for snow or ice that accumulates on a vehicle while out on the road if they are traveling to a location with snow and ice removal equipment or technology, provided they have not already passed such a location prior to being stopped.
The bill also specifies that drivers would not be liable for snow or ice accumulated while the vehicle, trailer, or container was not in their possession.
In hopes of appeasing the trucking industry, the bill would delay the effective date for one year. The grace period is intended to give truck operations time to comply with the rule. Revenue from fines would be routed into a special fund for uses that include establishing a grant program to provide incentives to encourage private companies to install snow and ice removal facilities around the state.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority would be responsible for adding facilities at locations along the roadways.
For bill status, call 609-292-4840. In New Jersey, call 800-792-8630.

6/24/09-Assembly lawmakers have signed off on changes to a bill that would permit police to pull over drivers whose vehicles were not cleared of snow and ice. The bill now awaits a final vote on the chamber floor that could come up as soon as this week. If approved there, it would head back to the Senate for approval of changes before advancing to Gov. Jon Corzine’s desk for his signature.
State law now prohibits car and truck drivers from being fined for driving a snow-capped vehicle. However, if a piece of ice falls from a vehicle and causes injury or property damage, car drivers face fines between $200 and $1,000, while truck drivers could be fined $500 to $1,500.
S520 would make drivers responsible for making “all reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow” from the hood, trunk and roof of the motor vehicle, truck cab, trailer or intermodal freight container.
Violators would face fines between $25 and $75. No points would be assessed against the driver’s license.
Drivers would not be liable for snow or ice that accumulates on a vehicle while out on the road if they are traveling to a location with snow and ice removal equipment or technology, provided they have not already passed such a location prior to being stopped.
The bill also specifies that drivers would not be liable for snow or ice accumulated while the vehicle, trailer, or container was not in their possession.
In hopes of appeasing the trucking industry, the bill was amended to delay from 90 days to one year the effective date. The grace period is intended to give truck operations time to comply with the rule. Revenue from fines would be routed into a special fund for uses that include establishing a grant program to provide incentives to encourage private companies to install snow and ice removal facilities around the state.
Removed from the bill was a provision requiring the state to build snow removal facilities for trucks at state-run weigh stations. Instead, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority would be responsible for adding facilities at locations along the roadways.
For bill status, call 609-292-4840. In New Jersey, call 800-792-8630.

1/27/09-The Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee unanimously approved a bill Monday, Jan. 26, that would permit police to pull over drivers whose vehicles were not cleared of snow and ice. The rule would apply to commercial and non-commercial vehicles.
Sponsored by Senate Transportation Chairman Nicholas Sacco, D-North Bergen, S520 now moves to the Assembly floor for further consideration. If approved there, it would head back to the Senate for approval of changes before advancing to Gov. Jon Corzine’s desk.
State law now prohibits car and truck drivers from being fined for driving a snow-capped vehicle. However, if a piece of ice falls from a vehicle and causes injury or property damage, car drivers face fines between $200 and $1,000, while truck drivers could be fined $500 to $1,500.
The bill would make drivers responsible for making “all reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow from the motor vehicle, including the hood, trunk and roof prior to operation.”
Violators would face fines between $25 and $75. No points would be assessed against the driver’s license.
Drivers would not be liable for snow or ice that accumulates on a vehicle while out on the road.
The bill was amended to allow a 90-day grace period to give truck operations time to comply with the rule. Revenue from fines would be routed into a special fund to build snow removal facilities for trucks at state-run weigh stations and to promote awareness of the law.
For bill status, call 609-292-4840. In New Jersey, call 800-792-8630.

Click here to read the 2008 legislative updates for S520.

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