AUGUSTA — A Maine lawmaker wants to require motorists to clean snow and ice from their vehicles or possibly pay a fine

Republican Rep. Jane Knapp of Gorham has modeled her proposal on laws in other states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

The laws are aimed at motorists who scrape a small hole on the windshield and drive off. In some state’s such motorists are called “tank commanders.”

The other goal of the proposal is to keep sheets of ice and snow from flying off at high speeds and hitting other vehicles.

Knapp tells the Portland Press Herald it’s basically a safety issue.

The bill carries a minimum fine of $250 for a first offense.

The proposal goes before the Legislature’s Transportation Committee on Thursday.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.