The Cost of Ice for Motorists
by ROBERT BELL
Harsh Frost and icy windscreens means lots of us have to spend time in the mornings heating up our cars before being able to drive to work. This has led to an opportunistic offense known as ��Frosting' whereby car crooks lift cars which have been momentarily left unattended while the owner nips back into their house after turning on the engine to heat up the car.
Last year 66,000 motorists reported falling prey to this crime, which is often unanticipated in quiet residential areas. Unsurprisingly insurance companies are not showing much sympathy for victims of this crime. If a motorist has decided to leave their vehicle unlocked with the engine running while they return inside, the insurance company will often consider there to have been a letdown in duty of care to look after the vehicle correctly. Any accusation made on these grounds will most likely be rejected and the driver will be left to fork out the cash to buy a new car.
Car thieves have been seen stalking the streets on chily mornings looking for someone to leave their car unattended with the engine running. So make sure that you do not fall prey to this crime by using alternative methods of de-icing your windscreen. Some people advocate pouring boiling hot water onto the windscreen but you should be careful in using this process as it could cause the windscreen to snap due to the acute change in temperature. This could lead to another costly insurance claim if you entire windscreen needs to be restored, and often warming up the car via the engine is a more effective way of doing the job. Just remember to prevent leaving the car unattended when the engine is running and use an ice scraper to further clear your field of vision.
Do make sure that you can see fully before driving your car. Statistics say that you are more likely to cause any accident on the roads, if you only have a small spot to peer through on the windscreen. And if you do decided to drive in this situation and cause an accident you may find again that your insurer accuses you of breach of duty of care and being guilty of unsafe driving. If this is found to be true your insurer may not pay any for any claim relating to you or your vehicle.
So if you look out of your bedroom window in the morning and it is clear that Jack Frost has visited once again, please ensure that you keep your car secure as well as yourself and others. Bruno is the author of Winter Mobility Aspects. You can find more information on this subject at Winter Car Problems and Prepare your car for winter.
