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How to de-ice your car as quickly as possible

You could face a fine if you drive with decreased visibility

Tuesday 21 January 2020 11:35 GMT

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UK weather: The latest Met Office forecast

This week, it was reported that temperatures are expected to reach lows of -7C in some parts of the country this weekend.

Public Health England issued a cold weather alert, advising that individuals who are vulnerable, particularly "older people and those with heart and lung problems", stay warm in the sub-zero conditions.

In extreme weather conditions, knowing how to de-ice your car can ensure that you keep yourself and other drivers on the road safe.

It can also prevent you from causing any unnecessary damage to your car, which can occur if you try to scrape the ice off with the wrong equipment or apply boiling water to the windscreen.

According to an AA-Populus study, 12 per cent of drivers don't fully clear the ice on their car windows before driving off.

Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

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Snow covers houses in Gold Hill, in Shaftesbury, Dorset

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

People enjoying a walk through Whitelee Windfarm in North Ayrshire, Scotland

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snow Rollers form in a field in Marlborough, Wiltshire. They are a rare meteorological phenomenon in which large snowballs are formed naturally as chunks of snow are blown along the ground by the wind. As they move they pick up snow on the way, in much the same way that the large snowballs used in snowmen are made.

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Two men help a driver try to get his car moving, after snowfalls yesterday and overnight have brought widespread disruption

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snow dusts the Angel of the North sculpture and covers the ground surrounding it in Gateshead

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A wintry scene at Nenthead in Cumbria after a band of wintry weather brought hill snow and a risk of ice to large parts of the country

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Children play in the snow in Hartley Wintney, in Hampshire

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A dog walker in a street in Bristol

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The River Forth in Stirling

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A man walks past the Starbucks Coffee store at the Membury Services on the M4

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A snowplough clears a road near in Shaftesbury, Dorset

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Ice crystals form on the windows of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A couple walk through a frosty landscape near Ashford in Kent

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Ducks on a frozen near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A gate at the entrance to a farm near the village of Moscow in Ayrshire

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

People walk past the frozen Sefton Park Lake in Liverpool

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Partially frozen water on the River Clunie in Scotland

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A frozen notice board at the allotments in Mudchute farm on the Isle of Dogs

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snow on the hills around Buttermere in the Lake District

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A man snowboards at Solomon's Temple in Buxton, Derbyshire

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A couple walk through the Frost in Ashford, Kent

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A woman walks through snow covered trees in Buxton, Derbyshire

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Altrincham, Greater Manchester

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Braemar, Scotland

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

3 wheel Reliant Robin in the snow off the A6 near the village of Shap in Cumbria

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A red deer grazes in the snow, in Glen Etive, Scotland

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

People skiing along a road in West Didsbury

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A Shetland pony gallops in a field in Tingwall on the Shetland Islands

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Morning fog floats through the valley at Tingwall

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Clare Strode and her 4 year old son Alejandro enjoy sledging on Camp Hill, Woolton

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Sheep surrounded by snow-covered fields near Balado in Fife

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Liverpool Airport which had to temporarily halted flights due to the severe weather

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A husky dog enjoys a walk on Camp Hill, Woolton

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snowmen on the banks of the River Cam in Cambridge

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

People walk along a snow covered road in Altrincham

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

People walk through snow on the banks of the River Cam in Cambridge

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A train at Hunt's Cross station in Liverpool

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A couple walk through a snowy park, in High Wycombe

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A horse in a snowy field in the Divis Mountain area of Belfast

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

An out of service Ulsterbus travels along the Glenshane Pass in after heavy snowfall in Northern Ireland

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Network Rail on the railway in Kyleum, Scotland

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A worker uses a bobcat to clear snow from a sidewalk alongside Nantasket Beach in Hull

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A man walks his dog through the snow in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A snow plough CLEARING TRACKS

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Heavy snow fall in Glasgow's West End

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A woman walks through a snow shower in London

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Snow covers the ground in Cheshire

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Walkers on a snow-covered path outside the Peak View tea rooms near Macclesfield

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A gritter from the Northern Ireland Department of Infrastructure clears the road during heavy snowfall on the Glenshane Pass

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Surfers take on the big waves at Tynemouth

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Frost covers the grass in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire while deer eat

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snow fall on the beach at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

People traverse the frosty river banks at the base of Pen y Fan mountain in the Brecon Beacons

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Walkers make their way along the Long Walk near Windsor Castle

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Farmhouses in Teesdale

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Members of the public make their way through a snow shower in the West End in Glasgow

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A dog walker makes her way along the Long Walk near Windsor Castle

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

A car drives through a snow shower in London

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Heavy snowfall on the Glenshane Pass

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Seagulls on a frozen Marden Quarry in North Tyneside

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snow covers the Killhope lead mining museum in County Durham

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Snow and icy conditions hit the UK – Winter weather in pictures

Snow showers along the sea front at Whitley Bay

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Here's how to de-ice your car safely and as quickly as possible:

Heat up your car

Before you start thinking about scraping the ice off your windscreen, it may be worth heating your car up to help it melt faster.

American roadside assistance company AAA recommends starting your engine while you're in the vehicle and setting your car's heater to defrost.

While doing so, turn the temperature nozzle up to full heat and check that the warm air is circulating around the car.

You must not go back indoors while your car engine is running, emergency breakdown company AA states.

If you have to go back indoors for any reason, switch off your car and lock it first before doing so.

Use a de-icer spray to melt the ice

Before you use a car ice scraper to remove the ice on your windows, another effective trick is to apply a de-icer spray to the ice to make it melt faster.

You must never apply boiling water to the ice, as this can cause your windscreen to crack.

"Never use just-boiled water to clear glass - it could crack the glass, freezes quickly and could ice your wipers to the glass," the AA states.

There are numerous de-icer sprays on the market that you can purchase, from brands including CarPlan and Blue Star.

You could also create your own DIY de-icer spray, insurance company Confused.com explains.

The company recommends trying solutions of water and salt, water and vinegar or water and alcohol by spraying them on your windows.

When combining water with a teaspoon of salt, the company advises using the solution sparingly as salt can damage your windscreen and car paintwork when used in excess.

As an alternative, you can use combine one part water to three parts vinegar for an equally effective spray, or a mixture of one part water to two parts surgical spirit.

Scrape the ice off with a car ice scraper

If you try to scrape the ice off your car using a sharp object other than a car scraper, this could lead to either the object or your windscreen becoming damaged, explains car insurance company Keith Michaels.

Once your car has begun heating up, you can start gently chipping away at the ice using a car ice scraper.

According to the AA-Populus study carried out with more than 22,000 AA members, more than two thirds of drivers use a scraper.

Make sure you're not breaking the law

If the ice on your car windows hasn't been completely removed by the time you start driving, you could face the prospect of having to pay a fine as a consequence.

The UK government's guidelines outline that you "must be able to see" when driving, and so "all snow and ice" must be cleared from your windows.

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If the authorities find that you've been driving with limited vision during icy weather conditions, you may be given a £60 fine and have three points taken off your licence, Confused.com states.

You may also have to pay a fine of £20 if you leave your car while it's defrosting with the engine on.

For all the latest news on UK weather, click here.

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