Perhaps you have had the same terrifying experience as I: You’re cruising along the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Lehigh Valley and Mahoning Valley interchanges, when, suddenly, without warning, an enormous sheet of ice flies from the top of a massive tractor-trailer and comes hurtling toward you.

You have no time to react. The only hope is that the ice will fall harmlessly. In my case, it did; others have not been so lucky.

Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton and Lehigh, has been vocally concerned about this problem for years and has once again co-introduced legislation to lessen the dangers to motorists.

Known as “Christine’s Law,” this legislation would protect motorists from the dangers of flying snow and ice missiles.

Since Republicans have control of the state Senate, Democratic-sponsored initiatives have a better chance of success if linked with a GOP colleague, and that is the case with this proposed bill.

The lead legislator is Sen. Daniel Laughlin, R-Erie. He and Boscola characterize this proposal as one of common sense to protect motorists and their passengers from these dangers.

Understand that there is already a law on the books, but it applies only to situations where ice flies off a roof and causes death, injuries or damage. Boscola believes that it is not strong enough nor does it provide an attention-getting penalty. The proposed bill would impose a $75 fine if police see a potentially dangerous buildup of ice on a vehicle.

Boscola said this bill couldn’t be more timely. In January, a 65-year-old passenger was hurt and taken to the hospital in East Stroudsburg when ice struck the vehicle he was in on Interstate 80 in Monroe County.

The ice dislodged from a westbound tractor-trailer and sailed into the eastbound lanes and struck the car in which the passenger was injured. Boscola said that this incident is “eerily similar” to a tragedy more than 14 years ago that prompted her to introduce the legislation.

This is why, she says, it is more urgent than ever that an even stronger law is required. On Christmas Day 2004, Christine Lambert of Palmer Township (for whom the proposed law is named), died when a chunk of ice flew off the roof of a truck and crashed through the windshield of the Lambert car.

“The tragedy could have been avoided had the trucker simply cleaned off the top of the truck,” Boscola said. Now that we are in the midst of the winter season, she added, there have been more of these incidents that are leading to injuries.

This legislation, Boscola said, “requires all drivers to do their part “so no family endures the tragic loss the Lambert family suffered.”

Erie legislator Laughlin said he has had to “dodge flying sheets of ice and snow while driving to and from Harrisburg.” He also said that most responsible drivers already take the time to clear their vehicles of this kind of hazard after a storm. “Unfortunately,” Laughlin said, “there are far too many who do not and become a hazard after a storm.”

Last session, Boscola’s bill passed the Senate unanimously, but it was never taken up in the state House of Representatives, presumably because it ran out of time to consider the bill. The session ended at the end of November 2018, so any pending legislation died automatically.

On the surface, this legislation might appear to be a no-brainer, but, as most everything else, nothing is ever as clear-cut as it may seem. In this case, visualize the height of a tractor-trailer, perhaps 13½ feet, and, in the process, visualize what is necessary for a trucker to clear the roof manually. It can be significantly hazardous.

The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association has had concerns about the implementation of this type of legislation because of the potential danger of falls. That said, truckers are just as concerned about the safety of fellow motorists. After all, their family members are on the road, too, and could become the victims of flying ice and snow.

A growing number of companies use machines to try to limit or eliminate the problem. Scraper Systems patented its trailer top “snowplows” that it says will “reduce liability and operational costs by automating the process of removing snow from truck fleets quickly and effectively.”

Here are some tips for you to consider if you must travel at times when motorists might be susceptible to flying snow and ice: Pay attention to changing weather conditions and, if possible, be off the road when heavy snow and ice are expected, slow down, especially around big trucks, keep your distance from them, and have a game plan in mind if one of these plates of ice comes flying your way.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com