[Superminion]

I was on my way home for the grocery store today and was getting so annoyed at the car in front of me. They had only cleaned off the bare minimum, leaving the rest to fly off as they drove. The roads are still kinda icky, and the last thing I needed was big chunks of snow and ice splatting on my windshield. I wasn't even tailgating, following by about 2 car lengths... I finally just pulled over and waited about 20 minutes until I was pretty sure I wouldn't catch up with them.

Please take the time to clean all the snow off your cars.

/endrant

[Louise]

It's one of my pet peeves about wintertime driving, too. Really, how long does it take to get the snow off? It seems to be part of the "it doesn't affect me so why should I bother?" syndrome that seems to affect so many these days.

[sophie]

It can be very dangerous. A friend of mine was just about to pass a truck on the highway when a huge piece of ice flew off of the truck's roof and shattered her windshield.

[Superminion]

Louise, I figure if 5'3 me can get the snow off of my 7ft truck roof, the guy in the Camry in front of me can manage it. He had snow all over his back window still... it would drive me nuts not being able to see!

Sophie, that's my worst nightmare! How terrifying. I hope she was okay?

[fargonefarm]

THANK YOU! The people who can't be bothered to thoroughly clean their windshields really burn my bum! Not only can snow and ice fly back at the person behind you, but it's just plain dangerous as far as line of sight. Arrggghhh!

[kookicat]

Over here, the police pull people over if they're driving with covered windows.

I stand in the truck bed and use a soft sweeping brush. Takes maybe five mins and it's done.

[Superminion]

That's how I do it to. Then I can shovel out the truck bed at the same time. To get the front (we have a crew cab and I can't reach all the way up there) I have to stand on the driver's seat, but it's not really that hard.

My guess would be that LEO's would pull people over, but I live in a small-ish town, so the only police presence is(are?) the state troopers that live here, unless a neighbor town gets called in for something specific.

[BuddyRoo]

Oh, come on! THis is part of winter driving! Dealing with the douche canoes! LOL

[Megaladon]

I think people that do that are attempting to be cool, and it IS annoying!

[pal-o-mino]

What's snow?

Supposed to get down to 53 degrees later... brrrrr!!!! Thank goodness in a couple days it'll be back to 78.

[alabama]

And here I was thinking you were talking about dirty cars. My car is filthy - white car, lots of rain and I live down a long dirt road. Cats constantly climb it as well so dirty little paw prints. Yeah, pretty gross but it's cold and I don't want to wash it. I'll probably find a gas station drive wash when I get around to it.

Not cool, though, to have stuff blowing off your car and hitting other people. Not cool at all.

[Canaqua]

Yeah, I get all the snow off a big wagon and a minivan, yet my 6'3" stepson showed up today with a pile of snow on the top of his girlfriend's tiny little economy car. One quick swipe with his hand and it would all be off .

[Emryss]

What's snow?

Supposed to get down to 53 degrees later... brrrrr!!!! Thank goodness in a couple days it'll be back to 78.

That was my response. I haven't seen snow in these parts but once every 20 years or so.

[jump4me]

Ugh, that makes me crazy too. Add me to the camp of people who drives a truck and still manages to get all the snow off and lives to tell the tale.... seriously. It. Is. Not. That. Hard.

[mht]

It's not just the snow blowing off either. If you haven't bothered to clear your tail lights, how am I to know that you must turn right.now. without warning!

[Foxtrot's]

...I'm thinking that you are worrying about it setting on your car like the face-mask?

[FalseImpression]

I don't know about in the US, but in Canada, we have day time running lights. I get so angry at people who do NOT think of turning their lights on at dusk or when the light is poor!!! Yes, the headlights are on, but there is nothing lit on the rear of the vehicle!!

I drove to Montreal on Hwy 401 on the 16th of December. In downpours!!! It was so frustrating so come up behind cars/vans/trucks with no lights whatsoever in the back... or tiny little things covered in mud!!!
I had my Volvo fog tail lights on and I know I was visible!!

And most of the times, those cars were either white or light gray!! You could guess a shape ahead, but not much else.

Same thing happened on Christmas day,... no rear lights at all on a dark SUV! I blame it on the car manufacturers too who somehow manage to light the dash and people do not think any further!

Also when you clean your car, do not forget to get the snow off your headlights/tail lights...

[Foxtrot's]

I'm thinking you are worried that the stuff will harden on your car and not be able to be washed off, like the facemask??

[Vesper Sparrow]

I was driving down the interstate one morning near Burlington, Vermont, after a snowstorm and who pulls onto the highway but a guy in an old clunker from the 70s. He had cleared away a face-sized hole in the front and rear windshields and the rest was covered with snow. Couldn't believe it.

I put my foot on the gas and went far, far away from that thing.

I have to admit that I am ditzy about the different headlight indicators. I can't tell the indicators for the fog lights, parking lights and regular lights apart. Sometimes the only way I can make sure I have the proper lights on is to test the beams.

[JanM]

You also need to clear the tail, and headlights, plus clear off the front grill or you can overheat the engine too. The clearing only a square foot of the front windshield drives me crazy, and when people like that came on post they were read the riot act too.