OPP are alerting drivers of their responsibility should ice fly off their vehicles and result in a roadway incident.
Police spokespeople for OPP’s west region and the traffic safety division issued the notice across Ontario after responding to multiple calls tied to cars being damaged by flying debris in Brant County on Friday.
Authorities suggest the cause was due to the latest winter storm which created conditions for “ice accretion” — a layer of ice building up on solid objects.
“You’re responsible for whatever comes off your vehicle,” Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said in a Twitter post Friday afternoon.
“You and your vehicle would be named in a traffic report if that ice causes damage to a vehicle behind you. It’s dangerous for everybody involved.”
A 2014 amendment to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act requires windshields, roofs and hoods of vehicles be completely cleared of ice and snow before going out on the roads.
Drivers who fail to comply can face fines or lawsuits if identified as a culprit to an accident caused by failing to clear a vehicle of ice and snow.
OPP says a violation could affect the driver’s insurance premiums.