In New Jersey, you could be fined up to $1,000

Even though it’s not officially winter yet, we’ve already seen snow and ice in other areas of the United States as we begin the month of December.

To prepare for the bad weather, you need to find your old ice scrapers or buy new ones. You may need to get new tires for your vehicle and keep spare winter outerwear in your trunk.

But are you ready to avoid a fine of between $200 and $1,000 during the coldest months of the calendar year? If you live in New Jersey, you better follow these laws or you’ll end up paying big fines instead of buying gifts this holiday season.

What you need to know before you drive when it snows in New Jersey

The money you set aside for Christmas gifts or vacation trips could instead be used to pay hefty fines if you don’t follow New Jersey’s “Remove It Before You Go” laws.

Of course, we’ve all driven with some snow and ice on our vehicles. We don’t remove everything for various reasons, such as not wanting to be late for work or because it’s so cold outside that we’re just resigned to the fact that we can at least see out the window.

And yes, many police officers have no interest in stopping a vehicle when it’s snowing outside if those drivers follow all other driving rules in New Jersey.

However, according to New Jersey state regulations, you must remove all ice and snow from your vehicle before driving or you may be fined. The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety warns that you could face fines this winter if you don’t completely clear your vehicle of snow and ice before driving.

This is because excess snow or ice can come loose while you are driving and pose a danger to those around you. According to the Department of Highway Safety, there are approximately 500 traffic fatalities in the United States each year due to icy roads.

For this reason, you could face a fine of between $200 and $1,000 if snow or ice blows off your vehicle and causes property damage or injury to others. The State of New Jersey holds you liable for snow and ice that comes off your vehicle if it causes damage or injury to other drivers and their vehicles.

So the next time you need to remove snow and ice from your vehicle, make sure you do it thoroughly, no matter how long it takes or how tedious it will be. Unless you don’t mind paying fines.

Plus, when driving, we’ve all seen vehicles driven by people who don’t care if snow or ice comes off and hurts someone. No one wants to be “that” person this winter season and make life more complicated for others.

Learn more about New Jersey’s snow season with this refresher on the winter months here: