Is it illegal to leave your car engine running to defrost your windscreen?
AS temperatures plummet, frost will ice up our cars in the mornings again. This means motorists could get fined for using a common technique to de-ice their cars – here’s everything we know. Is leaving your car engine idle an illegal way of de-icing your car? If you leave your engine running while your motor […]
AS temperatures plummet, frost will ice up our cars in the mornings again.
This means motorists could get fined for using a common technique to de-ice their cars – here’s everything we know.
Is leaving your car engine idle an illegal way of de-icing your car?
If you leave your engine running while your motor is stationary on the road, it could land you in hot water.
Stationary idling is an offence under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which means leaving the car running with the heater on the windscreen is off-limits.
The Act enforces rule 123 of the Highway Code which states: “You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road.”
And if a fine’s not enough to deter you – or you’re lucky enough to have a driveway – there’s an even better reason not to leave your car running.
What is the penalty for leaving your car with its engine running?
If you are caught by a copper you will be slapped with a fixed £20 fine – or £40 if not paid within a given time frame.
But never mind the police, leaving the engine going to warm it up or defrost your windscreen while you pop back inside makes your vehicle the ideal target for opportunistic thieves.
Should your car be stolen in this way, it is more than likely your insurance company will refuse to pay out on your loss, as you have invalidated your insurance by acting in a way which significantly increased the risk of your car being stolen.
The best way to de-ice your windscreen
- Mix up a solution of water with a teaspoon of salt and pour it over icy areas
- A mixture of three parts of vinegar to one part of water will also do the trick
- DON’T pour boiling water onto frozen car windows
- DON’T use anything other than a car-specific scraper to remove the frost
- Prevent windscreen frost by soaking an old towel in a solution made up of water and table salt, or a mix of one part of water and two parts of alcohol, then place it over your car windows the night before
Know your road laws
The law doesn’t mean you have to turn your engine off at every red light, though, it’s simply aimed at unnecessarily idling vehicles to help reduce noise and air pollution.
Don’t think you need to switch off your engine every time you are stuck in a traffic jam, either.
With newer, more-fuel-efficient vehicles, leaving your engine idling for a short period of time while sitting in traffic will actually use less fuel than if you were to continually switch off and start up your engine.