Franklin Co. Sheriff: Don't Blow Grass Clippings Into The Roadway

While it isn't illegal, Sheriff Peter Cates says you can make the roadway safer for motorcycles by not blowing your grass clippings into the road.

Grass clippings blown into the roadway, as seen in this photo, can present a danger to motorcyclists. Photo provided.

(Franklin County, Ind.) - Leaving your grass clippings on the roadway can pose a danger to motorcyclists.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department is reminding citizens to not blow their grass clippings into the roadway. That’s because those clippings can become slippery, causing a road hazard for bikers.

“Grass clippings on a roadway is just as dangerous to a motorcycle as an ice-covered roadway is to a passenger vehicle,” said Franklin County Sheriff Peter Cates.  “Motorcycle tires need to have good contact with the road surface, especially while negotiating curves.  Whether the grass clippings are wet or dry, when they come between the motorcycle tires and the road surface, it can be deadly for the motorcycle riders.”

The clippings can also clog drainage ditches, causing roadways to flood.

Cates says Indiana does not have a law against blowing grass into the roadway, but mowers can help make roads safer. He asks that mowers aim their discharge chute away from the road.

The sheriff’s department suggests other uses for grass clippings if you don’t want to leave them in your yard: animal feed, compost, mulch, recycling. Clippings can also be collected using a bagging system.

“Together, we can make a safer Franklin County for all to enjoy,” the sheriff’s department says.