Drivers: How not to clear ALL the snow off your car before you drive

Driving today? Don't leave home without clearing your entire car. The whole car. All of it. If you don't you might put yourself or other drivers in danger.

This photo was taken by a FOX 5 viewer at South Glebe Road and South Meade Road in Arlington, Va. on Friday morning and tweeted to us @fox5newsdc.

Paul Weller (@wellerp68) tells us the shot is from his car's passenger's side mirror (the car was behind him), which is why it might look to you like the driver is on the wrong side of the road (we know, it took us a minute, too).

There are no front plates on the car, indicating the vehicle might not be registered in Virginia.

As you can see, it appears snow was covering at least the entire front and driver's side of the vehicle, with the exception of a small portion of the driver's windshield, and what looks like a slightly cleared driver's side window. The photo doesn't show whether the back windshield had been cleared.

"I should have pulled her aside [and said], 'Hey, clean your vehicle off,'" Weller told us. "But she didn't seem too concerned."

AAA Mid-Atlantic stresses to drivers that it's VERY important to remove snow from your ENTIRE car before you drive. Blowing snow from your car might wind up blocking your view on your windshield -- or it could land on another driver's car, and be dangerous to them.

"It can shatter a windshield, it can blind people," said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic. "The shards of glass can come flying through the cabin and put someone's eyes out or obstruct someone's view causing more crashes on the highway."

It's important to take time to clear the WHOLE car, including your lights and mirrors. And be safe out there.

However, right now in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, it is not against the law to not clean off our car after a snowstorm.

The Montgomery County Police Department also warned drivers about this with a tweet with this picture on Friday. Montgomery County Police Capt. Paul Starks tells FOX 5 dangerous situations like this can lead to a negligent driving citation and advises everyone to clean off their cars completely to keep everyone safe on the roads

"Scrape It Up or Pay Up!" Remember: you cannot drive with an obscured windshield! pic.twitter.com/UMTn0B6WZu