Drivers can quickly demist their windscreens with a clever tip shared by a former NASA engineer. With snow falling across the UK and temperatures dropping well below zero this week, many people who drive to work will be facing the prospect of having to de-ice their cars each morning.
There are various methods for ensuring your view of the road is clear and meets the standards of the Highway Code, including using ice scrapers or covers to protect your car overnight, or turning the heating on and waiting for the frozen condensation to disappear. But YouTuber Mark Rober, who used to be a mechanical engineer at the US space agency, explained a clever way to speed up the process.
"Number one, turn your heater on full blast," he explained in a video on his channel, posted back in 2016. This is because hot air is able to hold more moisture.
"Number two, turn your air conditioning on. This pulls moisture out of the air as the air passes over the cold. It's kind of like we're wringing out a towel."
Mark points out that condensation forms when the air in your car is especially humid. This normally happens when there's a big difference between the temperatures inside and outside your vehicle.
The trick is therefore to take the humid air outside of the inside and add drier air by turning on the air conditioning while the heater is turned up.
This will help warm the air and remove moisture at the same time. Mark, who has garnered tens of millions of subscribers on the platform with his in-depth explainers, advises turning off the air recirculation button and lowering your windows so the humid air is being replaced.
Mark says the method is the quickest way to defog your windscreen. Doing so is key as without a proper view of the road you put yourself and other drivers in danger.
Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, warned that drivers should always fully clear their windscreen, as "driving with limited visibility can mean three penalty points and up to a £1,000 fine".
"Check your lights too, as defective ones can cost £100," he added.
