Popular tip to defrost your car could land you a fine — here’s how to do it properly
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Winter mornings are bad enough as it is with cold temperatures and frost, but many of us are often also met with the problem of iced-up car windows. Frozen car windows are not what you want to see first thing in the morning, especially if you have to get behind the wheel.
While there are countless methods for de-icing your car, it’s important drivers do so safely and without breaking any rules. For example, one TikTok account has sparked the resurgence of a popular tip for defrosting your windscreen – but drivers should be warned it could lead to a fine.
In a short clip, East Midlands mechanic @eden_tyres_and_servicing shared a four-step process on what they claimed to be ‘the best way to defrost your window screen’. Their method involved blasting the heating as soon as you get in the car, switching on the air conditioning to soak up excess moisture, turning off the car’s air-recirculation feature and cracking the windows slightly to ‘get rid of the humidity’.
The video quickly went viral on TikTok, scoring 25,000 likes and hundreds of comments. Let us know if you think it works🚀 #icy #defrost #windscreendefrost #wintertips #winter #wintercaradvice #toptips #edentyres #garage #tyrefitters #carmechanics #carservicing.
However, some users were quick to point out that leaving your engine running while parked is known as ‘car idling’, which could lead to a fine. Under regulations 98 and 107 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, leaving the engine running on a vehicle parked on the public road is an offence, which also aligns with rule 123 of the Highway Code.
