Did You Know Blowing And Plowing Snow Into The Road Is Illegal?

I live out in the boonies in Hampden, and I see this scenario a lot. Someone is clearing their driveway, and because space to put the snow can be tight, people will push it across the road. Or worse, sometimes just out into the road, thinking the town plow will get it on the next pass.

But did you know this practice is totally illegal? I know, at first, you'd ask yourself why, right? Think about it. Towns are trying to get roads clear, laying down salt, etc, and when snow gets pushed out into the roads, it can re-freeze that part and make it pretty unsafe for cars coming down the road, according to a post on Facebook from the Department of Public Safety, Maine Bureau of Highway Safety.

Out where I live, it can especially be a big deal because traffic on my road travels at a fairly high rate of speed. If you come around a bend and hit one of these icy spots, your car could fly right off the road. The real kicker is, if it's deemed that it's the snow you pushed out there that caused the accident, you'll be held responsible by law.

And the double kicker? Your insurance company also isn't likely to cover the accident because you were breaking the law. For that matter, let's hope in this case the only thing that happened was a simple fender bender. Otherwise, there could be further criminal charges.

So it may seem tempting to shove that snow out into the road to get it out of your way, but you may definitely want to think twice before you do it. Especially when it's so preventable. Just something to keep in mind this winter....