A motorist in the Midlands has sparked outrage after being filmed driving with their windscreen almost completely obscured by snow.
'Disgusting' dashcam footage captures dangerous drive
The shocking incident was captured on the dashcam of another driver travelling along Pelsall Road between Bloxwich and Brownhills in Walsall. The footage, recorded at around 3pm on Saturday, January 10, shows a Mercedes car with only a small cleared patch of windscreen near the driver's head position.
The anonymous driver who filmed the event told BirminghamLive: "I thought it was disgusting, they could not see anything. If anyone had crossed the road, they would not have seen them." He added that he was so shocked he exclaimed to his wife upon seeing the vehicle.
The legal grey area of snow on your car
While there is no specific law against driving with snow on your car, motorists are required by the Highway Code to have a clear view of the road. This is reinforced by section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Barney Cotton, the RAC's Consumer Editor, clarified the rules: "There is no road law that says it is illegal to drive with snow on your car. However, the Highway Code stipulates that if driving in adverse weather conditions, you must, by law, be able to see out of every glass panel in your vehicle."
Potential fines and serious safety risks
Failing to clear your windscreen properly before a journey can lead to a financial penalty. More critically, it poses a severe threat to safety.
Cotton emphasised the grave consequences: "Failure to do so could incur a fine, but more importantly, could place your life, the lives of your passengers and the lives of those around you in danger." The incident serves as a stark reminder to all drivers to ensure full visibility is achieved before setting off in winter weather.
