You Probably Already Broke This NYS Law This Winter

Winter hit us quickly. You may not have been ready with your rock salt or heavy coats yet, but most likely, you already broke this New York State law with the cold.

Imagine this: you're at work or about to leave the house and it is freezing outside. You car has been sitting outside all day/night, there's probably frost, even snow on it, what's the first thing you think to do? You go outside, put the key in ignition, start it up, and give it time to warm up while you're doing last minute things inside. Sounds good, right? Wrong, you're breaking the law.

News 10 broke down the specifics saying, "Section 1210 of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law makes it illegal for a driver to leave a vehicle without stopping the engine, locking the ignition and removing the key from the car."

The reason for it being illegal is mostly to prevent motor vehicle thefts more than anything the driver is doing wrong. The only exception is if you use a remote car starter. As long as the key isn't physically in the ignition, then feel free to warm it up!