You’ve been using your ice scraper all wrong – here’s how to do it safely without damaging your windscreen

ICE scrapers are a crucial tool for driving safely in winter - but if used wrong, they can crack your windscreen instead of clearing it.

We looked into exactly how to make the best use of your scraper and stop it doing any damage to your vehicle.

Scraping your windscreen before setting off is one of winter's most tiresome tasks - especially when it's freezing cold outside.

Damaging your windscreen in the process can only make it worse.

And it could earn you a £1,000 fine if you're caught driving with an obscured view of the road.

This winter, make sure you do it right by using only mild to moderate pressure on your windscreen.

The frost on your vehicle could contain rocks and other sharp material, which could crack your windshield if it's pressed too hard.

Turning the car on and sticking on the heaters for five to 10 minutes will also make your life easier and prevent you needing to press hard to clear any ice.

Some posh ice scrapers made of glass have appeared on the market, but using such a material in our modest winter temperatures can be risky.

Plastic or rubber is the safer choice, even if it needs a bit more elbow grease.

And lastly, never ever hit the glass.

It sounds obvious, but many drivers attempt to "break" the frost on their windscreen by whacking it with a scraper.

No matter how much your fingers are freezing, don't be tempted to do that.

We've also advised readers against some of the cheekier solutions to a frosty windscreen, including a risky sandwich bag trick, which went viral on TikTok.

An AA spokesperson advised: "Using a windscreen ice scraper, or the vehicle's heater with the engine running (whilst never leaving the car) will probably work just as quickly."

Here are 10 key checks you need to conduct on your vehicle before setting off this winter.

And these are the driving rules and regs to keep in mind as temperatures plummet.

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