Is It Illegal To Let Grass Clippings Blow Into the Road When You Mow in NY?
It's just about summer here in Central New York. That means mowing the lawn. Did you realize you need to make sure you know where your grass clippings end up?
We've all seen it: someone mowing along the side of the road - blowing all the clippings into the roadway. It's annoying if you're walking or driving by, but it can be downright dangerous if you're riding a bike or a motorcycle.
And, it's against the law.
If you let your grass clippings get in the roadway, you're breaking the law. Yup, blowing your clippings into the road is illegal. Specifically, this law is the one that you need to be concerned about:
Article 33 - NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1219
Putting Glass or Other Injurious Substances on Highway Prohibited
1219. Putting glass or other injurious substances on highway prohibited.
(a) No person shall throw or deposit upon any highway any glass bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire, cans, snow or any other substance likely to injure any person, animal, or vehicle upon such highway.
(b) Any person who drops, or permits to be dropped or thrown, upon any highway any destructive or injurious material or any material which interferes with the safe use of the highway shall immediately remove the same or cause it to be removed.
(c) Any person removing a wrecked or damaged vehicle from a highway shall remove any glass or other injurious substance dropped upon the highway from such vehicle.
It doesn't matter if you're blowing the clippings into the roadway on purpose, or whether they get there incidentally because of your mower - if they're in the roadway, you're breaking the law.
According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, you could be fined in criminal court for a violation - but if those grass clippings cause an accident, you could also be sued civilly.
Take a few extra minutes and clean up your clippings.