You're endangering your neighbours if you de-ice your car with water
23 January 2019, 11:04 | Updated: 23 January 2019, 11:43
Did you know that the way you de-ice your car could cause a potential hazard for neighbours or family members?
A thread on parenting website Mumsnet has brought to light the potential danger for others caused by de-icing your car in the morning.
The thread labelled the practice of pouring water on your windscreen to defrost it as being "selfish".
Many people take this approach when deicing their car and rather than using a de-icer or a scraper opt for pouring warm water on their car instead to thaw the ice.
One user explained that she slipped over as a result of her neighbour doing just that as the water ran away from the car onto the pavement near her house, froze, and caused her to slip.
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She said: "Just fell on my face outside a neighbour who must have done this [de-iced] early morning.
"Sent a stream of ice running across the pavement to the road which I didn't see
"I fell hard. Am OK but if I were elderly or more fragile I could have bad injuries.
"At least salt the pavement after!"
Many don't think about the repercussions their actions could cause when pouring warm water over their windscreen in the morning but it's worth baring in mind so as to not put your neighbours in danger.
Simply gritting the pavement or using alternative methods such as your car's heated windscreen or a de-icer would do as good a job.
One Mumsnet user who saw the thread admitted she is guilty of doing this and never considered the dangers the run off water could cause.
She said: "Oh no! I hadn't thought of the excess water causing ice, I'm guilty of this. Will amend my ways!"
Are you guilty of de-icing your car with water?
