Plowing Snow into Road Can Mean Fine or Jail Time

(Road Commission for Oakland County, Dec. 15, 2017)

Beverly Hills, MI — The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) reminds residents and business owners that it is illegal under Michigan law to shovel or plow snow or ice onto any road or highway, or to deposit snow on a road or road shoulder in such a way that it blocks motorists’ views of traffic.

“Unfortunately, we have had problems in some areas lately, when business owners and residents have plowed their driveways or parking lots by pushing the snow out into the road,” explained RCOC Highway Maintenance Director Darryl Heid. “This creates a safety problem for motorists and creates additional work for the Road Commission, which, in some cases, has to re-plow the road. That can mean it will take us longer to get to other roads and into subdivisions.”

Pushing snow from a driveway or parking lot onto a road or depositing snow in a way that blocks a drivers’ “safety vision” is specifically prohibited in section 257.677(a) of the Michigan Vehicle Code. Doing so is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 and/or a jail sentence of up to 90 days.

For more information on RCOC winter maintenance, visit:  http://rcocweb.org/259/Winter-Roads