One thing that Massachusetts folks are accustomed to is long, snowy winters. It may be November but winter is not too far off in the distance. Have you seen the Old Farmer's Alamanac for winter in the northeast this year? If you haven't check it out by going here. As I mentioned, Massachusetts and snow go hand and hand. One thing that is not only an annoyance but also dangerous is driving in a snow/ice-covered vehicle after a big New England snowstorm. You know what I mean. Some people clear ice and snow off their cars just enough to see out the windshield while neglecting to clean the rest of the car off.

I'm sure you have dealt with these motorists in the past. I know there are times that I have had to swerve out of the way so my windshield wouldn't be smashed with a sheet of ice. Unfortunately, this driver (see video below) wasn't able to get out of the way and as a result, the motorist was treated to a smashed windshield.

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So, is it Illegal in Massachusetts to Drive in a Snow/Ice Covered Vehicle?

In addition to being dangerous, neglecting to clear snow and ice from your car before hitting the road is illegal in Massachusetts and can cost you. Here's the 4-1-1 as published by mass.gov:

In Massachusetts, police can use a couple of statutes to enforce snow-clearing. ...officers can issue a $40 fine for impeded operation if a driver has obstructed windows and a $200 fine for driving with an unsecured load, which can include heavy sheets of snow or ice on a car's roof.

The easy and logical solution is to take a couple of extra minutes before work or wherever you are going and do a good job of removing the snow and ice from your vehicle. You'll save lives and avoid fines.

KEEP READING: Want to do some fun exploring? Don't miss out on these beautiful roads. 

See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

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