Better moisture arrived by mid-afternoon resulting in heavier snowfall rates (up to an inch per hour in some locations). Snow began in the southern counties around 1am Sunday and continued throughout the day on Sunday. Then came the storm that ended up dropping over a foot of snow at Detroit Metro Airport!Ī strong low pressure system developed across the Great Plains and drifted across lower Michigan on Sunday and Sunday night. Up through the end of January, areas were below normal for snowfall compared to the record breaking winter season of '13-'14. Over the past few months, the area had managed to avoid a lot of the snow while other states have not had such luck. Failing to use reasonable care can subject the motorist to civil liability in addition to other types of fines and recourse under other state statute.February started off quite active, as a long duration snow event unfolded across the region bringing the first significant snowfall to Southeast Michigan this winter season. Therefore, if a driver violates either of these statutes and doing so causes a car accident leading to another person’s injuries, that is evidence of not using reasonable care. While some may try to claim reasonableness is in the eye of the beholder, our state statutes are designed to help inform what is reasonable. In Michigan, our general standard is that every motorist owes other motorists a duty to exercise reasonable care. However, consequences are more far-reaching than just financial. Violating either of these two statutes may result in civil fines. Consequences of Not Cleaning Snow off of Your Car It’s important to completely clean off your vehicle, even the parts that don’t obstruct your view, before taking off. Failing to properly remove snow from the vehicle leading to it ending up in the roadway is in direct violation of this second statute. When people fail to properly clear their car, oftentimes it is loosened and comes off as they begin driving, landing in the roadway. Interestingly enough, Michigan has another state statute that reads as follows: “A person shall not deposit or cause to be deposited snow, ice, or slush on any roadway or highway.” This additional statute clearly states that a driver cannot do anything that causes snow or ice or slush to leave your car and end up in the roadway. Snow accumulation on the windshield, as we as the side or back windows, that obstructs the driver’s view is in direct violation of state statute and must be removed before operating the vehicle. Unfortunately, for those of us who dread clearing snow off our cars in the morning, this includes snow. Always take care of your property and be a courteous neighbor.Ī specific Michigan state law states that no one can have any object on that obstructs the vision of the driver. Failing to clear snow and ice can lead to people getting hurt. Under a complicated area of law known as premises liability, a premises owner may be held liable for personal injuries that a victim sustains as a result of dangerous conditions on the property. The city does not provide this service for free, and therefore assesses a snow removal fee, along with other potential administrative fees, to the homeowner or occupant. Consequences of Not Removing Snow from Your Propertyįurthermore, Grand Rapids’ snow removal ordinance states that if the owner or occupant of the home has been notified and fails to take action to remove the snow within 48-hours, the city can then remove the snow itself. The ordinance clearly requires homeowners and renters to clear snow and ice from sidewalks within 24-hours of the accumulation. Grand Rapids has a very specific snow removal ordinance that applies to both homeowners and occupants within the city. As a Grand Rapids personal injury attorney, Tom focused his discussion in this segment on the Grand Rapids snow ordinance. When talking about sidewalk snow, we are generally dealing with local snow removal ordinances. Snowy Sidewalks and Local Snow Ordinances First, according to state statute, when removing snow, you cannot “deposit or cause to be deposited snow, ice, or slush onto or across the roadway, or on the shoulder of the roadway that obstructs the safety vision of a driver.” In short, when removing snow from your property, you can’t put it in a place that obstructs someone’s safety vision. When it comes to property, Michigan snow removal laws include local law, sometimes called local ordinances, as well as state statutes. Freshen up on the rules that apply to you below. Several of our attorneys regularly appear on media segments to cover Michigan snow removal law, rules regarding cars covered in snow, snowy sidewalks, and more. Knowing how to handle these conditions not only saves lives but can also save you money since snowy sidewalks often incur hefty fines. Michigan winters are notorious for harsh conditions, mounting snow, frigid temperatures, and ice.
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