Wyomingites have taken to social media in droves after our first real snow of the season has landed. The major subject was proper vehicle etiquette with regards to snow removal.

Some have stated that all snow needs to be removed from the top of your vehicle prior to hitting the streets, especially the highway. Others have stated that only your front windshield needs to be free of ice and snow.

According to Wyoming State Statue 31-5-955, the only real law has to with keeping windshields and windows clear. The law reads:

  • No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster or other material or substance upon or crack within the front windshield, side or rear windows of the vehicle which materially obstructs, obscures or impairs the driver's clear view of the highway or any intersecting highway.
  • The windshield on every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a device for cleaning rain, snow or other moisture from the windshield, which device shall be so constructed as to be controlled or operated by the driver of the vehicle. This subsection shall apply to multipurpose vehicles as defined in W.S. 31-1-101 when equipped with a windshield and an enclosed cab.
  • Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a windshield and a windshield wiper which shall be maintained in good working order.

While there is no law pertaining to cleaning off the top of a vehicle (or the cab/bed of a truck), if a person fails to clean off the top of their vehicle and while they are driving, the snow comes down and obscures their view, they are now in violation of the state statute.

Also, law or not, it is probably polite to clean off your vehicle prior to hitting the roadways. It is a bit of a pain when other driver's snow lands on your vehicle windshield as your going down the road. Safety should come first always.

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