Is the Hudson Valley Really Still Doing this in 2024?

it's officially 2024. That's 248 years since our nation declared its independence, 121 years since we learned to fly, and 96 years since slice bread was invented. So why is the Hudson Valley stuck in the past?

Fair warning, this rant might catch some of my friends and neighbors in the emotional crossfire, but it has to be said. There seems to be a certain type of person in the Hudson Valley, akin to those who refuse to return their shopping carts, that only reveal themselves in the wintertime.

It's been over 100 years since the car has been invented, so why are people in the Hudson Valley still not removing the snow from the top of their vehicles? (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Is the Hudson Valley, NY Stuck in the Past with Snow Removal?

If you couldn't tell by the photos, this all has to do with how people deal with snow cleanup. Not of their driveways (feel free to have a miserable time on your own property), or even their mailboxes or fire hydrant (though both of these are very helpful, and a fire hydrant could save a life), but of their vehicles. There's more than one reason, too.

Even small amounts of snow on a vehicle roof can be dangerous. The video below shows exactly what kind of damage it can do (ViralHog via YouTube)

What the Law Says About New Yorkers with Snow on their Vehicles

It's hard for me to conceive that nearly 55 years after we put a man on the moon, a person still can't (or more likely won't) remove snow from the top of their car. For decades, we've had safety campaigns from local and national departments of transportation clearly outlining the hazards of slacking on vehicle snow removal. There's even laws about it. Here's what they say:

There's multiple ways that New Yorkers leaving snow on top of your vehicle can be dangerous, including obstructing the view of the driver behind (TSM Poughkeepsie)

[VIDEO] The Many Dangers of Leaving Snow on Your Vehicle

Senate Bill S395A states that "no person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public street or highway while there is an accumulation of snow, sleet, or hail on the roof or cargo bed surfaces... in excess of three inches". While the letter of the law allows three inches of snow accumulation, almost any amount of snow, especially if it's frozen, can cause catastrophic damage like in the video below.

People Who Don't Return Shopping Carts Also Don't Shovel Snow Off Their Cars

The offending vehicle (and driver) in the video barely had more than an inch of frozen snow on their roof, but it was enough to smash the windshield of the recording vehicle. It's especially frustrating when this happens on clean roads. Drivers might be forgiven if they need to make an emergency trip at low speeds through falling snow, but someone driving at 60 mile per-hour on their morning commune has no excuse.

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It's not fun to complain, but it's frustrating to see so many people who decided to cut a corner that could endanger someone else's life. Similar to not returning a shopping cart, it's also an action that generally only affects other people, which is an act of selfishness that shouldn't be tolerated anywhere, let alone in such a tight-knit community like the Hudson Valley. TLDR: clean the snow off your damn car!