By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL, MOTORING REPORTER
Britain is in the middle of cold blast with most of the country experiencing minus temperatures and snow flurries.
While this brings beautiful scenes and snow days for some, for motorists it means driving in more dangerous conditions. And the daily chore of defrosting your car.
Despite the yearly occurrence of needing to remove snow and ice in sub-zero temperatures, almost one in five motorists are risking a fine by not properly defrosting their vehicle, new research has found.
Some 19 per cent of the 2,000 drivers surveyed by eBay said they were unaware that not fully scrapping the frost off their windscreen is illegal and could land them with a £60 fine or three points on their licence.
Other motorists (19 per cent) are risking damaging their cars by using methods such as pouring boiling water from a kettle over their windscreen to melt the ice.
So, as Amber weather warnings continue we've rounded up the dos and don'ts when defrosting your car.
19% of the 2,000 drivers surveyed by eBay said they were unaware that not fully scrapping the frost off their windscreen is illegal. Here are the dos and don'ts to defrosting your car
1. Use boiling water or a hot water bottle
This might seem like a quick way to immediately remove ice from your windscreen if you're in a hurry, but it's a sure fire way to damage the glass.
It can cause the glass to crack as the extreme temperature difference creates thermal shock. Also avoid using lukewarm water.
And even hot water can quickly refreeze, creating a layer of even thicker ice on your windscreen, doubling your defrosting work.
2. Use windscreen wipers
Almost a third of motorists reported to eBay that they've used the car's windscreen wipers to clear ice, despite this potentially damaging the wiper blades and electric motor.
The rubber on the blades can tear from the abrasive ice, and the strain from trying to clear ice when wiper blades are made for rain can cause the blade motor to burn out prematurely.
3. Leave your car running outside to defrost
Eighteen per cent of motorists told eBay they were comfortable leaving their car running to fully defrost their car, with 15 per cent aiming to make the most of their busy morning while the vehicle runs outside.
However, while this might be an efficient use of time, it is also technically illegal under rule 123 in the Highway Code and can result in a fine of up to £80.
4. Avoid fully removing ice from your windscreen
If you're short of time it can be appealing to just clear enough ice from your windscreen to see through the driver's side of the glass, but this is not just a bad idea for safety,
it's a bad idea for legal reasons too.
If the police catch you driving without a clear windscreen or 'portholing' - think peeking through a face shaped hole in the icy windscreen - then they can fine you as this is illegal.
5. Don't fall for internet hacks
Social media, YouTube and the internet are a hotbed for 'tricks' that can help you quickly defrost your car.
We're here to tell you very simply not to follow them - they are almost always going to cause harm to your car.
You might think that it's only windows that frost over but headlights can too. Make sure both your windscreen and headlights are free from ice before driving off
1. If you have a new car use its tech
Many new cars come with preconditioning tech which allows you to remotely heat the vehicle. This means you can heat your car's windscreen without getting into it, and allow it to slowly melt away the ice.
At the same time you can pre-set the temperature and heated seats or steering wheel so it's nice and toasty when you get in.
2. Prevent frost in the first place
Prevention is better than cure, and it is very easy to stop your car windscreen frosting over - even if your car isn't new or you don't have access to a garage.
You can buy a shield to put across your windscreen - these can cost as little as £10 online or at auto shops - or even a piece of cardboard.
Obviously if you have a garage then parking your car inside will stop it from being iced over.
3. Use an ice scraper not a DIY tool
Again this is obvious but always keeping a scraper in the car will stop you reaching for anything you have on your person to remove the ice of your windows.
Credit cards, CD cases (yes some people still have them) or even hardback books are not made for icy situations.
4. Defrost the headlights
You might think that it's only windows that frost over but headlights can too.
It's important to have as good visibility as possible in cold weather conditions, and you can be driving around with inhibited headlight strength if there's a layer of frost over them.
Sometimes you might not even realise - so always make sure you check before you drive off that your headlights aren't iced over and scrape away the ice if they are.
