The Ice Problem And How To Solve It On Your Car

The winter weather that we’ve experienced here in the Elm City this year has been somewhat back to normal. In the last few years we’ve seen warmer then average temperatures and not as much precipitation as usual, but this year the cold weather has jumped up and bitten us and the precipitation has been icy not snowy. It feels normal once again. With that said, it also leaves us in many situations where our cars are covered in ice and after a significant hiatus from this type of weather it is important to remember how to remove the ice from your car so you don’t drive down the road with low visibility and get into a New Haven auto accident.

The good news is that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel here, our friends over at AAA have spent some time figuring out what is the best way to remove ice from your vehicle so you can follow their steps and be safe when you hit the road in these tough, wintry conditions. The first step you will want to take is to make sure you turn your vehicle on and start warming it up. This will have the added benefit of warming you up once you get in the car to drive, but it will also soften up the ice. If yvou are not able to get into your vehicle because the handle is iced over, you may want to follow these steps before you proceed with how to clear the ice from your windshield and side windows.

If you are able to get into your car and turn the vehicle on you are well on your way to safely removing the ice from your vision path. Once the car is started and is warming up you may want to put on the front and rear defroster which will start loosening up the ice on your windshields and make it much easier to clear away then if it the windows were completely cold. From here, the tips from AAA will be of benefit to you so you can quickly get on your way without doing any significant damage to your vehicle.

1.) Avoid using sharp objects. Do not use a shovel. These types of objects that are often used to clear ice off of a vehicle can be quite damaging to the windshield or other windows you may be clearing of ice. If you hit your vehicle’s windows with a sharp object the right way you cause a spidering of the window which will leave your visibility far worse then if you had waited for the ice to completely melt before you started out on the road. A sharp object can do more harm then good. Instead of using a sharp object you should use a study plastic ice scraper which should do the trick.

2.) If your vehicle has been idling for a minute or two, the ice may start to loosen a bit which may lead you to another option for clearing the ice. If you have a snow broom, you can gently use the snow broom to tap on the ice and work to loosen it up that way. Assuming some thawing has occurred from the vehicle being on, the ice may quickly break apart and then can be brushed off gently without the need for any major force.

3.) If all else fails you can use an aerosol spray can of de-iccer which will definitely loosen up the ice and allow you to quickly clear it away. Be warned that this type of treatment is almost entirely alcohol and could cause some damage to your wax from your paint. If you use this tool carefully and sparingly you should be fine to utilize it without damaging your vehicle very much.

It may seem like the icy and snowy weather has eased up over the last few days, but don’t be fooled there is still plenty of time for us to get another wallop or two. If you are prepared with the tools needed to clear off your car and the expertise needed to address the situation when weather does come, you will be well on your way to avoiding a New Haven auto accident. Just be sure that the visibility in your vehicle is 100% before you hit the road so you can be as safe as possible when battling road conditions that will also be messy as you go.

If an accident were to occur you may need to seek the expertise and experience of an attorney to review your situation. Contact our office and one of our attorneys who have experienced many of these types of weather related accidents will reach out and work with you to protect your long-term interests.