Can you be ticketed for driving with snow or ice on your car in Kentucky? We asked police
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Kentucky is hit with significant winter storm
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for many areas of the state.
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Kentucky doesn’t typically get a lot of snow, but when we do get a winter storm, you’re likely to see drivers on the road who’ve scraped their windshields with credit cards, peering through tiny windows of ice.
Winter Storm Blair, which crossed the region beginning Sunday morning, may change some minds. The storm dropped more than 5 inches of snow in Lexington alone, with higher amounts elsewhere in the state, followed by sleet and mixed precipitation Sunday night into Monday.
Both state and Lexington officials have urged drivers to stay off the roads. Inclement conditions increase hazards for drivers from snow, ice and black ice, and staying home allows snow plows space to clear important roadways.
So, if you must go out, are you required to scrape your vehicle? Other states have laws that fine drivers for failing to properly clear their windows and mirrors of ice, but what about Kentucky? Here’s what state law here does and doesn’t say about the topic.
Is it illegal to drive around with snow or ice on your car in Kentucky?
Drivers in many northern states that see regular snowfall in the winter can face fines for not clearing snow and ice from their vehicles. That includes drivers in Pennsylvania, where in 2022, then-Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill called “Christine’s Law.”
The law takes its name from a woman who died on Christmas Day in 2005 when a large piece of ice flew off a passing truck and shattered her windshield.
Kentucky doesn’t see as much snow as Pennsylvania, and there doesn’t seem to be a law that explicitly requires drivers to clear snow and ice from their vehicles. Still, that doesn’t mean drivers are absolved from responsibility.
There are several Kentucky laws that either imply or explicitly require drivers to have unobstructed views of the road. A few examples include:
- Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.110: This statute governs “unobstructed windshields” and state rules around window tints. It generally lays out “a person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a public highway, road or street with any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or upon the windshield,” with a few noted exceptions. Additionally, this statute requires vehicles to be outfitted with devices that can clean rain, snow and the like from the windshield, subject to the driver’s control.
- KRS 189.130 requires Kentucky vehicles to be equipped with mirrors that offer a rear view of the vehicle, which further cements that drivers must have a clear view of the road in all directions.
- Additionally, KRS 189.470 bars drivers from operating their vehicles when there are enough people riding in the vehicle to obstruct the driver’s view of its front or sides. Passengers are also not allowed to ride in a position that interferes with the driver’s view or control of the vehicle.
Perhaps more fundamentally, drivers in Kentucky are required to operate their vehicles in a “careful manner” under Kentucky law, as explained by the Lexington Police Department’s Traffic Unit. KRS 189.290 requires drivers to show regard “for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and other vehicles upon the highway.”
That law also states, “a person shall not operate any vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner as to endanger persons or property in or near a highway, or in or near a highway work zone.”
According to Hannah Sloan, the spokesperson for the Lexington police, “failure to remove snow or ice from the windows, including the front and back windshield, to allow for an unobstructed view could ‘endanger persons or property in or near a highway.’ Not removing snow or ice could also result in an officer stopping the driver and issuing a citation for careless driving.
“We encourage all motorists to remove snow, ice and anything obstructing a windshield to remove it prior to driving,” Sloan wrote to the Herald-Leader in a recent email.
Are there penalties for not clearing snow or ice from your car in KY?
In Kentucky, it’s unlikely you’ll be ticketed for not clearing snow and ice from your vehicle.
That said, according to Kentucky State Police Post 16 Trooper Corey King, who spoke to the Herald-Leader in a December interview, a trooper could stop you and ask you to clear your windows and mirrors or offer to do it for you.
Police do regularly cite drivers for illegal window tints and too many passengers, but not so much for uncleared snow, King told the Herald-Leader. Where you’re more likely to run into trouble is on the civil side of the law, however.
Kentucky follows a pure comparative negligence system for fault-based claims, as explained by Wilt Injury Lawyers, a law firm that has offices in Louisville and Lexington. The degree of fault corresponds with liability, so if you’re found to be 100% at fault in a car accident, the injured party can recover 100% of their damages in court.
If you’ve neglected to properly clear the snow and ice from your mirrors, front windshield and side windows, as KSP recommends, it’s possible that could be ruled a “contributing factor” in a collision, King said. So if safety is not enough of a motivator, know that keeping your car clear of snow and ice could ultimately save you money.
Do you have a question about Kentucky law for our service journalism team? Send us an email at ask@herald-leader.com or fill out our Know Your Kentucky form.
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
