A Maine state senator will submit a bill requiring truckers to remove snow and ice from their rigs.

The bill, to be considered during the 2002 session, was triggered by a 1999 New Hampshire accident, where a sheet of ice flew off a tractor-trailer into the windshield of a smaller truck, causing the driver to swerve out of control into a head-on fatal collision with another car.
Sen. Norman Ferguson Jr. of Hanover is sponsoring the bill. It has been approved for the 2002 Legislative Session as an emergency matter; the state Constitution limits bills during even-numbered years to those submitting by the governor, and budgetary and emergency matters.
The same 1999 crash prompted a bill that was considered in the New Hampshire legislature earlier this year creating a negligent driving violation. That law goes into effect Jan. 1 and could target anything from snow and ice falling off a rig to using a cell phone while driving. Violations could result in a fine of up to $1,000 and suspension of driving privileges for up to a year.