Ontario motorist pulled over while driving in a car covered in a foot of snow

Sure, everyone hates having to clear their cars of snow following a winter storm, but it's a necessary evil.

However, apparently not so for one motorist in Brussels, Ont., on Tuesday.

Ontario Provincial Police pulled a driver over in Huron County who had barely cleared a third of the windshield.

"He (Sgt. Russell Nesbitt) was on patrol and saw the vehicle driving down one of the main streets," says OPP media correspondent Sgt. James Stanley. "The driver is an 80-year-old male, he was going out on an errand run. The excuse he gave: 'I'm kinda weak and old' so he didn't make the effort to brush off the other side of the window...It was essentially laziness."

The driver was fined $110 and charged with driving with no clear view - Section 74 subsection 1A of the Highway Traffic Act.

"As you can see by the photo it is dangerous to be driving around like that, you don't have a view," says Stanley adding that this is the worst he's seen of an obstructed view. "It's a hazard for everyone...He's lucky he wasn't involved in a collision."

Stanley says potentially there could be a case made for the charge of careless driving, but the officer made the call at the stop.

OPP posted the photo to Twitter late Tuesday with the goal of sending a message to all drivers. The tweet has since gone viral.

"Can't make this stuff up," wrote the OPP. "Driver charged today in Brussels actually driving like this."

When you actually see that picture...it makes them (other drivers) more aware, more conscious of their safety," says Stanley. "(We) certainly don't want to embarrass anyone. It is a serious issue, when you are going to be driving in somewhat blizzard conditions you need to have your vehicle clear of snow, you have to be able to see."

Brussels is a town of about 1,100 people located about two hours west of Toronto.

It is unclear if the Nesbitt knew the elderly driver, but after writing the ticket he went out of his way to help the man and improve the safety of everyone in the town. Russell cleared all the snow off the car and let the man continue running his errands.

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