Jan 16, 2008 7:26 pm US/Eastern
Ice From Car Roof Shatters Driver's Windshield
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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"There isn't an inch of glass that wasn't shattered," said Avedikian's wife, Linda. "Thank goodness he wasn't hurt."
Linda Avedikian
It may take you a few extra minutes, but clearing the snow off the roof of your car or SUV can make a big difference - to you and other drivers.
"It's a perpetual problem every snowstorm," Massachusetts State Trooper Eric Benson told WBZ. "It can be quite hazardous."
Drivers head out onto local highways with days-old frozen snow on the roofs of their vehicles and it eventually flies off - sometimes onto other cars.
It happened to Craig Avedikian Tuesday on Interstate 95 in Walpole. As he was approaching an exit, a sheet of ice and snow flew off the car in front of him, sailed in the air and crashed down on his windshield.
"It went up about 25 feet in the air. I lost sight of it and a two seconds later it smashed my whole windshield," Avedikian said. "It's completely smashed in. The rear-view mirror came off and hit me in the head."
"My first reaction was, 'Oh my god, I can't believe he wasn't seriously injured," said Avedikian's wife, Linda Avedikian.
"There isn't an inch of glass that wasn't shattered," she added. "Thank goodness he wasn't hurt."
"I didn't lose control of the car but I kind of went to the side a bit because it just startled me so much," Avedikian said.
There's no law to force drivers to clear off their vehicle's roofs. But, Trooper Benson said there is a way to punish those who try to get away with it.
"Successful prosecutions have been made with having an unsecured load," he said.
In other words, it's just like driving around with a bed or a box that's not strapped to your roof.
The fine for having an unsecured load is $200.
Benson said drivers should remove all snow and ice before heading out, because there are some situations that are against the law.
If you don't clean off your windows, headlights or taillights, you could end up with a $35 fine - because it could impede your driving and make you a danger to other drivers.
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