Many people in New Jersey may not realize that neglecting to clear snow off the hood, truck or roof of a car can result in a $25 to $75 fine. While this may frustrate some drivers, it is the responsibility of each driver to properly clear off his or her car. If not, someone may suffer a personal injury as a result.

The reason for the fine is because driving around with snow and ice built up on a car causes many hazards. Visibility may suffer and if the ice and snow fly off and hit someone or another car, serious damage could be done.

In a recent situation, a woman was driving towards an oncoming truck, which was covered with a considerable amount of snow. As the cars passed one another, a large chunk of ice and snow flew off the truck and landed on the woman's windshield. The glass shattered immediately. The woman needed medical attention for her facial abrasions and to remove the glass that got into her eye.

Because the man driving the truck did not take the time to clean off his car, he put others in danger. Simply failing to remove ice or snow from a vehicle will result in a small fine. However, if that negligence causes damage or personal injury, the fine increases to up to $1,500. New Jersey law enforcement has issued almost 3,700 tickets for this violation.

Despite the fact that most drivers are responsible and remove snow from their cars, there are many who do not. For people who suffer property or physical damage from this negligence, there may be an opportunity to seek financial compensation.

Source: NJ.com, "N.J. drivers with snowy roofs hit with flurry of tickets since law's expansion," Feb. 10, 2012