AAA Applauds Passage of Maryland's "Clear Before You Drive Act"

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 4, 2026) — With summer temperatures in the forecast, snow and ice may be far from most Marylanders’ minds. But last week, AAA Club Alliance joined State Delegate Edith Patterson (D-Charles County) and traffic safety advocates as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed HB 474 and SB 698, known as the "Clear Before You Drive Act," into law.

Effective Oct. 1, 2026, the law will require drivers to make reasonable efforts to remove accumulated snow and ice from exposed vehicle surfaces before driving.

The legislation was championed by Delegate Patterson and supported by AAA Club Alliance, the Maryland Motor Truck Association, the Maryland Coalition for Roadway Safety, and 8-year-old traffic safety advocate Lucy Goldband and her father, Ross. After snow flew off another vehicle into their path, the Goldbands worked with lawmakers to address the absence of a Maryland law requiring drivers to clear snow and ice from their vehicles.

"Every winter, snow and ice left on vehicles can turn into airborne hazards that shatter windshields and change lives in a matter of seconds," said Delegate Patterson. "Marylanders deserve safe winter roads."

The need for the law was underscored by several incidents during this year's winter storms. In Harford County, two people were injured when ice shattered a vehicle's windshield on I-95, causing the driver to lose control. In Anne Arundel County, a deputy was hospitalized with minor injuries after ice struck and shattered the windshield of a police vehicle.

"While most drivers clear snow and ice from their windshields for visibility, too often the roof, hood, and trunk are overlooked, creating dangerous conditions for everyone on the road," said Ragina Cooper Ali, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA in Maryland and Washington, D.C. "This law will help raise awareness and encourage drivers to take the extra few minutes needed to protect themselves and others."

Violations of the law will be subject to escalating fines for both commercial and noncommercial vehicles. Penalties increase for repeat offenses and are significantly higher when snow or ice contributes to a crash resulting in property damage, serious bodily injury, or death.

"After conversations with stakeholders and partners like AAA, we listened and improved the language to be more practical, reasonable, and enforceable," Delegate Patterson added. "We shouldn't wait for a Maryland family to experience an avoidable loss before taking action."

Thanks to the efforts of Delegate Patterson, the Goldband family, and numerous traffic safety advocates - including AAA, Maryland will have a new law on the books designed to help prevent avoidable crashes and injuries when winter weather returns.