Vehicle Laws - Dangerous Accumulations of Snow and Ice - Removal From Exposed Vehicle Surfaces (Clear Before You Drive Act)
HB0474, the Clear Before You Drive Act, creates a new Maryland vehicle law requiring drivers and persons towing vehicles to make reasonable efforts to remove accumulated snow and ice from exposed vehicle surfaces before operating or towing a vehicle, when that snow or ice poses a threat to persons or property. The bill defines “exposed vehicle surface” broadly to include the hood, trunk, windshield, windows, roof, truck cab, and the tops of trailers and semitrailers.
The bill also limits enforcement to secondary stops in most cases, meaning police generally may only cite the violation when a driver has already been detained for another suspected traffic offense. It sets escalating civil fines for repeat violations, with higher penalties for commercial vehicles than noncommercial vehicles. In addition, if a violation contributes to an accident causing property damage, death, or serious bodily injury, the bill imposes substantially higher fines. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
The bill adds a new section to the Maryland Transportation Article, Section 21-1135, establishing a statewide duty to clear dangerous snow and ice from vehicle surfaces before driving or towing. It creates a new traffic offense with separate penalty schedules for commercial and noncommercial vehicles, authorizes secondary enforcement in most cases, and provides an exception where compliance would violate workplace safety rules or threaten the operator’s health or safety. The law affects motorists, commercial carriers, towing operations, and law enforcement practices, and it may influence winter driving compliance and roadside safety standards.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote breakdown, but the bill was enacted and approved by the Governor as Chapter 668. The enacted structure suggests a safety-focused consensus around preventing snow and ice from becoming roadway hazards, while also balancing enforcement limits and practical exceptions for worker safety. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a public-safety measure rather than a controversial policy change.
The main points of potential contention are the scope of the duty to remove snow and ice, the use of secondary enforcement, and the size of the penalties, especially for commercial vehicles and for violations that contribute to serious crashes. Another possible issue is the bill’s exception for workplace safety and operator safety, which may be important to commercial drivers and employers but could complicate enforcement. Because no hearing transcript is provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition, but these are the provisions most likely to have drawn debate.