Flying ice injures NJ driver on I-295 near Bordentown

NJ Commuters: Those flying icebergs on the road are dangerous — and Illegal!

If you drive in New Jersey — as I do on my long daily commute — you’ve probably seen it this past week: giant chunks of ice flying off SUVs, 18-wheelers, and other vehicles, bouncing across the road, smacking into windshields, and scaring the hell out of everyone around them.

A brutal commute made worse by flying ice on New Jersey highways

I make about a two-plus-hour roundtrip every day. Without traffic it’s an hour in, an hour home. But let’s be honest — there’s almost always traffic. So most days it’s more like an hour and ten minutes each way, watching every type of driver and plenty of violations. But this week’s biggest hazard wasn’t another tailgater or somebody running a light — it was ice chunks flying off cars and trucks at highway speed.

The storm last Sunday started as snow and then turned into sleet. In many parts of the state that meant about 7 inches of snow mixed with 2 inches of sleet, and since then temperatures have stayed below freezing. That’s turned everything — and I mean everything on vehicles — into some of the densest, hardest ice any of us has seen. What’s flying off these vehicles are basically projectile icebergs.

Real injuries reported after ice flies off cars on I-295 and beyond

And this isn’t just something we've witnessed on the Parkway — major New Jersey news outlets are reporting real injuries. In the Bordentown area, a sheet of ice flew off another vehicle on I-295 and smashed through a woman's windshield, hitting her in the head and requiring dozens of stitches. She was lucky — it could have been much worse. Authorities are asking anyone with dashcam video to come forward.

This is exactly the sort of danger that concerns state police and highway safety officials.

What New Jersey law says about clearing snow and ice from vehicles

New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 39:4-77.1) requires drivers to make “all reasonable efforts” to remove accumulated snow and ice from exposed surfaces of their vehicles — including the roof, hood, windows, and trunk — before operating the vehicle. (That also applies to the tops of truck trailers and commercial rigs.)

The penalties are not just words on paper:

• $25–$75 for failing to clear snow and ice, even if nothing falls off.

• $200–$1,000 if snow or ice does come off and causes injury or property damage.

• Commercial drivers face even steeper fines up to $1,500.

Yet so many drivers still don’t bother. Some might not know the law. Some might be physically unable to reach the roof of a pickup or SUV. And some are just plain lazy. But whatever the reason, this carelessness is selfish — and it’s putting other motorists at risk, literally threatening their lives.

Why ignoring ice removal puts every NJ driver at risk

In the past few days alone, I’ve seen at least three windshields smashed by flying ice — one glass explosion that must have stunned a driver so badly they lost control and collided with another car. There were at least two (one this morning and one this afternoon) just today on I-295 in Burlington County — and aside from the morning driver’s injury from that flying sheet, thankfully no one else was involved.

If there’s still ice on your vehicle when you drive, do yourself and everyone else a favor: figure out a way to get it off ASAP. When it’s actively freezing like this, scrape it as it melts and refreezes — that makes removal easier before each trip. Or better yet, keep up with the snow as it falls on your vehicle and don't let it pile up.  On the road, always be alert for icebergs in your path, and if one does hit your vehicle, do your best to stay in control and safely pull over.

Be safe out there, New Jersey. Those extra few minutes to clear your car could save a life — maybe even your own.