Driver gets $553 ticket for driving more than 5 miles with snow on windshield

KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. (KATU) — A Washington State Patrol trooper gave a driver a $553 ticket for driving with a windshield almost completely covered in snow.

The trooper pulled the driver over after getting reports of someone "driving erratically" on State Route 16. State police found the vehicle driving five miles further down the road, still completely covered in snow.

The driver got a $553 ticket for negligent driving in the 2nd degree, Washington State Patrol said.

When asked, the driver said their windshield wipers weren't working.

Please take the time to remove all snow from your vehicle before you leave the house," Trooper Katherine Weatherwax wrote on Twitter.

Not only is it important for visibility, troopers say, but for the safety of other drivers on the road.

If ice or other snow debris were to fly off your car and hit another vehicle, you can be liable for the damage and face a citation.