Police to Crack Down on Peephole Driving

October 2009

Winter is around the corner and police are gearing up to crack down on "peephole drivers," or those who scrape off just enough ice and snow from their windshield to be able to see. Peephole driving not only interferes with a driver's quality of vision, but pieces of ice or snow can dislodge and hit another vehicle or pedestrian.

A few states have enacted laws that target peephole driving. In Pennsylvania, drivers can be cited if injury or property damage results from failure to remove snow or ice. In states like Illinois, police can cite drivers merely for obstructed vision or obstruction of a window.

There are no official statistics on peephole driving and how many car accidents it causes, but some police officers say they have noticed an increase in the practice. One state trooper estimates that peephole drivers only have two to three percent of their normal field of vision.