VICTORIA -- As snow continues to fall across Vancouver Island, drivers are being reminded to clear snow and ice off of their vehicles before they hit the road.
Last year, during February 2019's massive snowfall, a Nanaimo driver was served a $109 fine for failing to remove the snow off his truck.
Police said that the snow was completely blocking the driver's rear window and licence plate, which can become a hazard for both road users and pedestrians.
Besides limiting a driver's field a view, snow that is left on a moving vehicle can slide or fly off onto the road, which can pose a danger to other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Nanaimo is not the only community that has seen vehicles with obscured sightlines because of snow.
On Monday, Oak Bay police poked fun at one driver who failed to properly clear their windshield.
Meanwhile, icy conditions across the island have caused crashes on highways and city streets. Shortly after 7 a.m., multiple vehicles spun off of the Pat Bay Highway near Haliburton Road. Police say no injuries were reported in the early-morning incidents.
Further north on the island, in Nanaimo, multiple downtown streets were closed due to poor road conditions.
Mounties are asking motorists to avoid any high elevation streets in the city until crews can clear them.
"They're working as fast as they can," Const. Gary O'Brien told CTV News. "Emergency routes and major routes need to be taken care of first until secondary routes can be done."
