Snow Removal Laws in Rhode Island: What to Know Before Your Fleet Trucks or Buses Hit Winter Roads

Like other road laws, snow removal rules for fleet trucks and buses are determined by where the vehicle is, not where the driver is licensed.

Operators should know, however, that vehicle snow removal laws vary widely by state and province.

Is it illegal to drive with snow on your truck in Rhode Island? Law enforcement in many other states might pull over drivers to simply warn them they are at risk of fines if snow or ice falls off on the road.

But in Rhode Island, drivers can be fined for having “any significant amounts of snow or ice upon the vehicle.”

Rhode Island snow removal requirements

Safety is always a driver’s top priority. Beyond that, though, there are legal penalties to consider.

Rhode Island’s General Laws Section 31-23-16 details lawmakers’ concerns about the impact of snow and ice on others:

• “No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any significant amounts of snow or ice upon the vehicle. The term ‘significant’ is construed as any amount of accumulation which might reasonably be expected, when blowing off the vehicle while driving, to obscure the vision of an operator of another vehicle.” See subsection (b).

As for the violation’s penalty, Section 31-41.1-4 indicates that drivers may be fined $85. However, the list is preceded by a statement that there may be other consequences beyond that fine:

• “[T]hose offenses for which punishments may vary according to the severity of the offense, or punishment that requires the violator to perform a service, shall be heard and decided by the traffic tribunal or municipal court. The following violations may be handled administratively through the method prescribed in this chapter. This list is not exclusive and jurisdiction may be conferred on the traffic tribunal with regard to other violations.”

Past that, federal regulations for maximum vehicle weight and securing loads — 23 CFR 658.17 and 49 CFR 393.100(b) — apply everywhere in the US. Rhode Island’s Title 31 lists the state’s specific standards for vehicle height, weight, and load limits (Chapter 25).

The business side of snow and ice removal

Beyond safety, fines, and liability, clearing snow off commercial trucks and buses makes simple business sense — cutting weight saves on fuel and removing rooftop snow protects your company from high-cost lawsuits.

Efficiency is key, though. The snow removal process increases downtime and is dangerous to anyone pulling snow off a vehicle’s roof or climbing onto it. Instead, operators sometimes choose to take risks by leaving rooftop snow intact.

Snow removal machines for truck and bus fleets help do the job faster and more safely than manual scraping.

• Prevent employee injuries.
• Lower manual labor costs.
• Put vehicles on the road faster after a snowfall.
• Protect your brand.

Rite-Hite helps solve these issues with heavy-duty and medium-duty snow removal machines. Scraper Systems™ Fleet Plows clear up to 24 inches of snow in under 30 seconds per truck or bus.

Comprehensive expertise of transportation laws is tough when you serve customers with interstate freight transport or travel. Having a system in place for fleet truck and bus snow removal takes one major variable out of the equation — and improves your bottom line.

Operational costs add up with manual snow and ice removal. Learn how much you can save with our calculator tool. Depending on climate and fleet size, a Scraper System can start earning in a year or two.

If you see value for your fleet, our reps can answer remaining questions or quickly get you a quote to start you saving during the winter months.

The information provided herein does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or other professional advice. All information, content and materials available in this blog are for general informational purposes only. Information in this blog may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. Additional laws, regulations or statutes may apply locally or on specific roadways. Readers, users or browsers of this blog are responsible for understanding applicable current and pending legislation in all relevant jurisdictions. No reader, user, or browser of this blog should act or refrain from acting based on information herein without first consulting authorities in relevant jurisdictions along travel routes for the most up-to-date information. The content in this blog is provided “as is,” and no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of any information, content or materials herein.