Motorists on thin ice over icy windscreens

As the weather starts to chill and our car windscreens get frostier, many of us will resort to whatever tactics possible to defrost and get our cars on the road. But according to the UK’s leading car brand, parent drivers are putting themselves and families in danger and risking losing their car, driving licence and even their freedom by failing to take simple steps to clear their vehicle windscreen in icy weather.

Drivers who run the car engine while the windscreen is clearing, but leave the vehicle unattended – known as ‘frosting’ – are committing an offence if the vehicle is left on a public highway*. Although leaving a car running on a private driveway isn’t breaking the law, it is a prime target for opportunistic thieves.

But ‘portholing’ – where motorists don’t even wait for the whole windscreen to clear and instead drive off with just a small ‘porthole’ of visibility ahead – could face a driving ban and even prison if found guilty of causing an accident.

Ford of Britain is urging motorists to ‘warm up for winter’ and properly manage all aspects of car maintenance and preparation for driving in cold and icy conditions as the weather forecast predicts chillier days ahead.

Stuart Southgate, Ford’s Automotive Safety Office Director said: “Being able to see clearly where you are driving is perhaps the most obvious and basic safety requirement for motorists. Failing to take proper care to clear windscreens can have serious consequences not just for drivers, but for pedestrians and other road users too.”

An Essex police spokesperson said: “Failing to clear your windscreen of ice or frost constitutes careless driving, and would be punishable with points on your licence and a fine. The exact penalty is dependent on the circumstances and severity of the offence committed, and would be decided in a criminal court.

“Last year, Essex Police prosecuted a careless driver who had not sufficiently cleared his windscreen. This resulted in the death of a pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing. The driver was charged with death by careless driving, resulting in a 24 week prison sentence suspended for a year, a oneyear driving ban, and 150 hours’ community service.”

According to insurance company estimates, around 2,000 cars are stolen each year when ‘frosting’, worth around £12.7m.** Car insurance is usually invalidated if a policyholder leaves a vehicle with the keys in the ignition for any reason.

While frustrated motorists often resort to using tools such a stiletto heels, CD cases, credit cards and finger nails to scrape at stubborn ice, one in 10*** confesses to pouring a kettle of boiling water onto the windscreen.

Dave Gidden, product support manager at Autoglass®, said: "We don’t advise using hot water. There is a huge difference in the temperature of the hot water people use and the windscreen itself in freezing conditions. This thermal shock may cause severe damage to the windscreen. Glass isvery hard but it is not malleable so it doesn’t permit rapid uneven expansion."

Technology offers a quicker and simpler solution. Ford developed the patented Quickclear system 26 years ago, which uses a mesh of very thin heating wires embedded between two layers of windscreen glass to provide rapid de-icing and de-fogging. The simple push-button system clears windscreens in seconds, instantly freeing frozen wiper blades to reduce stress on the wiper motor. It remains a highly popular across the entire Ford range more than a quarter of a century on from its debut on the Ford Scorpio.

Stuart Southgate added: “The feature allows the driver to clear the windscreen in a more convenient manner, and allows the driver to maintain a clear windscreen whilst on the go.”