As New Zealand plunges deeper into a chilly winter, icy windscreens in the morning have become a part of daily life for some.
Seeing your car’s windscreen covered in ice is frustrating, and the time spent thawing it out means you might be late for work or school drop-off.
Last month, a Christchurch woman was fined $150 for driving with an icy windscreen.
“With winter officially setting in, this is a clear reminder for motorists to think about safe winter driving,” senior sergeant Paul Robertson said.
So, how can you quickly defrost your car’s windscreen before your morning commute?
AA motoring services technical adviser Allister Wade told 1News the best thing to do was park under cover or in a sheltered area to avoid frost in the first place.
But if you can’t do this, he offered tips to ensure you don’t have an icy window when driving off in the morning.
He said the first thing to do was pour water over the windscreen with a hose or bottle before using a scraper to clear the ice.
Wade said the “biggest” thing to remember is “do not use hot water”.
“Because the sudden temperature change can cause the windscreen to crack.
“So definitely keep away from that.”
Another thing to remember is to turn off your window wipers in case they’ve frozen to the windscreen.
“They can actually rip your wiper blade or crack it,” Wade said.
“So, it’s always a good thing to make sure the wipers are turned off when you start.”
Hit the recirculate button
Next, start the engine and turn on the warm air blower to the windscreen, the rear window heater, and mirror heaters if you have them. Wade said opening a window could also help.
“Make sure you have your recirculate button on so you’re not drawing cold air from outside.”
If you don’t have air conditioning, Wade recommends investing in some anti-freeze or deicing spray.
In the meantime, Wade said, you should use a soft brush to sweep off snow and then a scraper or deicer to remove ice.
“Remember to do the headlights too.”
Once this is done, you can hop back in the car, but “don’t drive off until all the glass is clear”.
He said pouring water on the windscreen and driving off was a bad idea, as it could refreeze while driving.
Wade said it was best to “plan ahead” if you know your window will frost up.
“If you can have time to sit and have a coffee, why can’t you sit in the car while you wait for the screen to defrost?
“Put it in a takeaway cup, sit there, and have your coffee in the car.”
Avoid quick-fixes
He also said quick-fix hacks should be avoided, like pouring vinegar on the windscreen or rubbing half a potato on the windows the night before.
“Just stick to the known and proven things because anything you try could add problems to the situation.
“You can end up scratching the screen, or using a product like vinegar could be pretty corrosive.
“And if you don’t wash it away, you can do damage further down the vehicle.”
You can find a list of deicing tips on AA’s website.