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.
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