Have you ever been driving down the road, following another vehicle,  and that car kicks up a stone that hits your windshield and chips or cracks it?  Of course that car in front of you is responsible … right?? Unfortunately No – it’s a tough situation, but they could not control what’s on the road.  Now let’s change the scenario a bit.  One that lends itself more to our winter months.  A major snow storm has just ended and you need to get out to the store to buy some milk and bread.  As you’re driving to the store you notice that the vehicle in front of you has not cleared the snow off the top of their car.  As you are following this car down the road, the frozen ice/snow blows off and hits your car.  Your windshield is cracked AND there is damage to your car.   Is the person in front of you responsible in this case?  YES … It was their responsibility to clear any snow and ice off their vehicle before driving to the store.  If you lost control, damaged your vehicle even beyond just the windshield or, worse yet, were injured, that vehicle in front of you would be responsible. 

So the moral is, for the safety of all involved, to take the extra 15-20 minutes after a snow storm to clean off your entire vehicle.  Some states have actually passed laws making it mandatory that the vehicles be cleared off.  In NY State that legislation is currently pending.  If passed, you can be ticketed!