Very soon temperatures will plummet and snow showers will hit; this will cause a lot of problems for motorists, from traffic issues to more road accidents than any other time of the year, winter weather will pose difficult challenges to drivers up and down the nation. In the winter months, motorists will wake up to snow-covered cars, icy windscreens, and winter storms raging all day. If you are based in the UK and want to drive anywhere, there is a good chance that you will need to defrost your car. But did you know that there are some ways to do this that are incredibly dangerous, and most people do them? In this blog, we are going to tell you what not to do.
What Not To Do
Leaving Engine On
As you have probably realised from the name of this article, leaving your engine on to defrost your car is extremely dangerous to the environment; even if it is extremely cold outside and minus temperatures hit, don’t leave your car running when you are not in it. If the Police catch you de-icing your car this way, you could receive quite a hefty fine, so it’s definitely best to avoid it.
Stationary idling means leaving the engine on while the car is on the road but not moving (and it is also a serious traffic offence). This means that if you are caught you will be in serious trouble. Due to the fact that it takes so long to defrost your car in this way, drivers are tempted to go back into the house and finish whatever they need to do, before getting into the car; if you do this, you are making stealing your car extremely easy. You should never leave the keys in the car unattended, especially as your insurance will not pay out if your car is stolen as a result of you doing this.
Use Hot Water
You should never pour hot water over your windscreen to defrost it. If you have ever done this before, you will know why. Your windscreen will more than likely smash as soon as the hot water touches the freezing cold windscreen.
Don’t Wind Side Windows Down
Do not attempt to defrost your side windows by rolling them down and back up. This can damage the electrics within your car and cause serious issues further down the line.
Never Pry Your Wipers Off
You should never pry your wipers off of your windscreen when they are not defrosted properly. You could pull them straight off, and driving without windscreen wipers is not advised and is extremely dangerous.
Call Motorsolve Today
If you think that your car has problems due to the cold weather and icy conditions, we can help you. You can call our experienced team on 01923 268 082 or 07850 359 668, or email info@motorsolve.co.uk. Our team are always on hand to take your call, deal with any enquiries and answer any questions that you may have regarding the car repair services that we offer from our local garage.