GATINEAU -- One Gatineau Police officer must have missed all those warnings about cleaning snow and ice off vehicle roofs.
A video posted Wednesday shows a Gatineau Police vehicle travelling along Highway 50 last Monday with chunks of snow flying back onto the road.
Gatineau Police spokesperson Andrée East confirms it was one of their vehicles and issued this statement to CTV Ottawa:
"The Highway Safety Code applies to all users, including police officers. It is indeed important to completely clear the snow from the vehicle before driving. The SPVG expects its police officers to inspect and completely clear the snow from their vehicles before driving it. A video such as this one demonstrates the importance of timely reminders and ensuring that employees have the necessary tools to effectively remove snow from all vehicles, especially those that are more difficult to clean due to their height".
You can watch the video here
Just 10 days ago, Gatineau Police retweeted a posting by the Sûreté du Québec urging motorists to clear all snow and ice from vehicles.
The message was clear, cars and trucks are not mobile igloos.
Si, comme nous, vous préfériez ne plus jamais voir cette photo, assurez-vous de déneiger et de déglacer votre véhicule avant votre départ.
— Sûreté du Québec (@sureteduquebec) January 13, 2020
Les igloos mobiles, c’est non!#sécuritéroutière #prudence #igloomobile pic.twitter.com/NlKa0zy9I0
We are hearing of people who had their windshields smashed yesterday after ice flew off the roofs of other vehicles. For everyone's safety, please clean off your entire vehicle before driving. #otttraffic pic.twitter.com/iDkBiLD0xw
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) January 16, 2020
Martin Burger of Cobden has first hand experience of the dangers of flying ice from vehicles. His face was severely cut and bruised when a chunk of ice crashed through his windshield as he was driving on Highway 17 a week ago.
