As winter conditions worsen across the country, another threat to drivers has become "ice missiles." INSIDE EDITION explains.
As if this winter wasn't bad enough, drivers now have to watch out for "ice missiles.” They are chunks of ice and snow flying off vehicles like missiles. They're a danger to drivers everywhere.
A video showed a truck which had snow piled high on its roof. A huge block of ice hanging from the truck landed right in the middle of the road.
INSIDE EDITION's Paul Boyd spoke to Robert Sinclair of New York AAA about how to protect yourself from ice missiles.
Boyd asked, "A vehicle sits outside overnight. Snow and ice build up on top and when that vehicle starts driving, this [ice] goes flying?"
Sinclair said, "The warmth gets underneath and loosens it up. This stuff [ice and snow] flies off and creates a very dangerous situation. The higher speed you are going, you really need to give yourself more room because there is going to be more energy in that chunk of ice or snow coming off that vehicle because of higher speeds. Drop back behind or change lanes if you can."
Watch INSIDE EDITION's Report On Ice Missiles
Many states have laws that require drivers to clear off their snow and ice covered vehicles. Sinclair showed Boyd the right way to do it.
He said, "Get a big broom and pull it off. Extend to the length of the vehicle and pull it off. That is the best way to do it. That is the most complete way to ensure the safety of the other drivers on the road."
An ice missile smashed the windshield of a car and nearly killed one Illinois driver in 2010.
A 911 call captured the incident, when another driver said, "Semitruck went by and all the ice flew through the car and smashed a guy's face. We need an ambulance here bad."
The driver Peter Morano suffered broken bones in his face and had shards of glass in his left eye. He told INSIDE EDITION in 2010, "I'm looking at the road driving like I normally do and all of a sudden out of nowhere I saw a white bomb coming straight at the windshield.”
Ice missiles flew off the back of a truck coming from the opposite direction and crashed through Morano's windshield.
Morano told INSIDE EDITION on Tuesday, "After something like that you can't help but to just be thankful to be alive."
Now, he has lost the sight in his eye and now campaigns for laws to prevent ice missiles from harming anyone else.
He said, "Losing an eye and having my face in the condition it is in is bad enough. But, it is so easily could have been worse."
