Have you scraped your windshield?

It may sound absurd, but every single winter people lose their licenses because they can’t see where they’re driving. This despite repeated warnings from everyone from NAF to the police.

Poor visibility is not just a challenge for the driver – it’s naturally a great danger both for the driver and others on the road. Therefore, the vehicle use regulations state: "the driver shall ensure sufficient visibility in all directions. Snow, ice, condensation, etc. shall not obstruct vision or be distracting."

Despite this, many choose to drive off without actually being able to see where they’re going.

What is good visibility?

The traffic police say their definition of adequate visibility is that you have scraped the area the windshield wipers cover, and the side windows back to the B-pillar – the pillar behind the front doors. It’s important to note that you must also ensure that condensation doesn’t obstruct vision. In the worst case, you may have to wait a while before you can drive.

You must also remember to remove snow from the car. If you drive off with a lot of snow, it can fall off and obstruct visibility for those driving behind. It can also slide down over the windshield when you brake, causing you to lose all visibility.

Consequences

If you have scraped so little that you have less visibility than police consider adequate, you first face a fine of NOK 2,000. If you have scraped less than half the window, you will also be reported to the prosecution authority. Both fines and license suspension may then be relevant.

There are those who push the limits extremely far, believing they can see well enough through a small hole. If the visibility area is less than an A4 sheet of paper, it’s considered so negligent that the license is confiscated on the spot.