Here's how it is in MA:
“Police often see large chunks of ice and snow fly off, and people have been hurt,” said Massachusetts State Police spokesman, Trooper Todd Nolan.
Nolan said failure to remove snow from the top of a vehicle could result in a $35 citation from an officer, and in some cases, if shards of hardened snow and debris lead to an accident, or damage another vehicle, criminal charges could apply.
“If you do cause a crash, you are ultimately responsible and can be held accountable,” said Nolan.
Nolan said such a scenario would be a criminal offense, and could land an operator in court.
Each case is different, however, and Nolan said officers determine if a driver is at fault on a case-by-case basis, using their own discretion.
While there is no official state law specifically about removing snow from the top of a car or SUV, State Police said there are applicable rules within the Massachusetts General Laws that can be applied to each instance.
He said there are “impediment violations” and other laws that are “open to interpretation.”
“There is a reasonableness factor,” said Nolan.”