"Just how often frosty windshields are factors in traffic accidents is difficult to say."

I shake my head whenever I see one on the road that has a small "Peep Hole" scraped in the ice. Just enough so the driver can see in front of their hood ornament.

It's not just the windshield that should be clear but side and rear windows as well. Too lazy to scrape, why not put a tarp over the top of he car the night before.

That or clean all the junk out of the garage so the car can be parked inside.

Ah, yes. America, where we park our $30,000 car in the drive way and our worthless junk in the garage.

Sometimes TWO $30k cars.

I miss having a garage. :(

Use an old blanket. Cover as many windows with it as possible.
You don't need to scrape at all if you do that. Simple and quick.

Yup. Use a blanket. You can get a nice 72x80 from harbor freight for about $6 bucks. Heck get 2 and cover your whole car

Best info I've ever been provided here at the Herald. Thank you!

Or a tarp from Harbor Freight for a similar price.

The problem in either case, however, is it will blow away very easily unless tied down. It's really quite a bit of hassle.

So I just scrape or use warm water to deice my car.

Blankets do work great. I've also used plastic tarps.

The blanket doesn't get wet and freeze to the car? Any particular fabric that works or doesn't work?

I have to confess that I'm guilty of not doing a good thorough cleaning either. I'll use this tragedy as impetus to change this bad habit.

This woman should receive the exact same severity of prosecution that someone who was drunk and hit a pedestrian would receive.

Almost every grocery store sells some form of spray-on ice remover. It just takes a few seconds to spray your car windows and get rid of the ice... Oh, wait, reasoning impaired people do not plan ahead... !

If they think it only takes a minute for the defroster to clear the windshield then they should have no problem waiting that minute for it to clear. If they find out it doesn't clear in a minute, the driver just might decide it's actually worth getting out of the car into the cold outdoors and actually using a brush/scraper. Oh the horrors of having to do so much just to drive! Or let the car idle for 10 or 15 minutes, whatever it takes.

It's not something they often see says the state patrol? seriously?

I drive to work at about 5am each weekday. I see plenty of people that drive with frosted or foggy windows too. Law enforcement would too if they looked!

Let us see the irony, it is Illegal to allow your car to idle and warm up, now they are complaining that people are being unsafe for not defrosting their windows. Not everyone has a garage. There must be a compromise such as a shield over the cities to stop the cold air from reaching the cars, or force everyone to move to warmer states that do not have ice issues in the winter time. That would help this region if everyone who moved here from different states move back to their homes, then we would not have to accommodate them with de-icer and salt. We managed to get around quite well with sand.

As far as I can tell, it has never been illegal to idle. It is illegal to idle it unattended.

"It is illegal to idle it unattended."

Also very stupid. Makes a nice target for a car thief who then get's to enjoy driving off in a warmed up car.

When I lived in Colorado people used to start their cars then go back to eat breakfast. In a lot of cases their cars were stolen by someone walking by who just wanted a ride. Drove off and dropped the car close to their destination, often with the engine still running.

Mike, I saw the same thing when I lived in Colorado. Except for a few years in Fort Collins, we lived in ranch country where everyone drove monster trucks. If they stopped at the local convenience stores or really just anywhere, they left those 5 miles per gallon trucks running, sometimes for an hour or more. Since they were diesel, they were loud and shook the ground. I hated those trucks.
We always had one car outfitted with an engine heater so, if we needed to, we could still get around when it dropped to 45 below. Doesn't help much with the windshield but in cold climates people just know they have to keep a large scraper and a broom for snow in their vehicle.

Diesel engines are different than gas, they do not heat up to operating temperature as quickly as a gas engine. It is common to leave the diesel truck running to keep the engine warm. I am not sure why you moved here, our citizens like large trucks as well. California will solve you problems, no ice, no idle, and you will not tell us how to live because you do not like something.

My, aren't you the sensitive little soul? I know about diesel engines, lol. It was a familiar sight in our town to see vehicles with diesel engines towed in from one of the mountain passes when the diesel jelled. Never told you how to live, poor baby.
Why did I move here? This is my home. I grew up in the PNW. WOW!!!!

Then why did you leave? It seems to me that you are the whiner since you Hate Big Diesel Trucks idling.

Where is this unattended idling car going to be the next time it snows? I could use a working car.

Just stand out in the street and look for exhaust "steam". Chances are you have several in your own neighborhood and won't have to hike far for a "new ride".

That may be true but some of our more militant brothers in arms in the environmental movement have been known to come up and harass folks who are sitting in an idling car. Because, you know, they're trying to protect mother earth.

Well they really need to get a life. Is this why they want firearms band, so they can harass people with out being shot???

It's "banned". Just sayin'.

Dave is on something of a tear. These are some of his more bizarre posts.

Just pointing out the obvious. I like firearm bands. Ted Nugent is the best.

Cuckoooooooooo!

We did the blanket trick when I was a kid but have always parked in garage the last 20 years or so. On my vehicle I keep outside I use cheap item I picked up at Costco. It is called Frostguard. Add .us to that it will take you to the website. They also cover the mirror.

It's not just the frost but warming your vehicle up enough to keep the windows from fogging up. As many have noted below a garage is an advantage. Unfortunately many, myself included, use the garage to store their excess stuff.

Rain X helps both in rain and with frost removal. It is essentially a silicone coating you buff on to the glass. I'm talking about the regular "Rain X" product for use on the exterior auto glass and none of their other products. In rain it causes the water to bead up and roll off and sometimes after a fresh application it seems like the windshield wipers are hardly needed. With ice the adhesion doesn't seem to be as severe so the usual vigorous scraping isn't necessary. Rain X has it's detractors in that in clear weather it may have a prism like effect at night with oncoming headlights but this is usually the result of too much being applied and not buffed out properly. I swear by it.

A milk jug or bucket full of warm water can be a time saver if its a hard freeze.

Don't do this is you have an unfixed chip in your windshield. The thermal shock could cause it to grow into a crack. And don't use full on hot water. That also increases the risk of a crack. Body temperature seems about right.

Pour enough to wet the windshield. Don't dump it all on at once, as we want to *slowly* warm the windshield. Let the heat soak in. It will probably re-freeze. Repeat once or twice more until it stays liquid long enough to get in the car and flip the wipers on (close the door so you don't gets splashed).

30 seconds to a minute and your windshield is clear!

I also splash it on the side windows and mirrors.

Cold water is safer.

Another issue we are constantly fighting is that pedestrians are willing to risk their lives to prove that they have the right away. I see people, especially downtown, just walk out into the road with out even looking. Really, are you that righteous that the world revolves around you and stops at your beckoning? One day, you will be a victim and hopefully someone will have you on video walking with out looking. Then you will be responsible for your actions and their will not be a free ride for you. Why would people endanger their lives to benefit financially from an innocent person that you set up for failure. Look Both ways before you cross, get eye contact with the driver so they will know your intentions. The life you save may be your own.

It's "right-of-way". Without is one word, not two. Wow! You really think that people get run over deliberately just to benefit financially? That's kinda twisted!

It happens all the time....don't you read the news????

It is amazing to see just how many ignorant, lazy people scrape off only a little peep-hole to view from, and then only on the windshield. You do this, then you deserve to have the book thrown at you should you cause an accident. I hope the victim here makes a full, speedy recovery, and the driver gets sued to bankruptcy. She should also lose her drivers license and do a little jail time, just for good measure. What a moron.

You are the moron expecting to sue someone into bankruptcy so you can benefit financially. You are the problem with this society to expect that money will solve all your problems especially when you gain it from lawsuits. Get a real job.

You know, I don't know who put the hair across your nose but you need to calm down.
I don't mention this often, but my mother was run over and killed by a drunk driver who was driving with a suspended license and without insurance.
I benefitted financially because I inherited her estate but chose not to file a lawsuit against the IDIOT who killed her. However, 25 years later, I can say I've never gotten over the loss. We move on, but the loss of a loved one is never moved aside. The money is gone, but the loss of my mother will always remain.
It seems that you are taking every comment as a personal affront. It's not all about you, Dave.

I am tired of my life being affected by self centered people whom don't give a crap about anyone else or their livelihood. I never said it was all about me....but I am pointing out the obvious which is opportunists will do what it take to screw anyone over and benefit from it. A prime example is the black 4 door sedan that drove through the intersection at Ok Mill road onto Machias while I was still in it.. I was narrowly able to miss them as I came to a stop.. They didn't even stop to see if I was ok as I sat on the shoulder. But from your point of view I should let it go because their life is more valuable than mine. This is what this world is coming to is forgiving the selfish and the hell with the nice guy. But I guarantee is I went around and cut everyone off, causing accidents while talking on my phone, I would probably go to jail. This society needs to stop catering to the whiny crybabies, stop the frivolous lawsuits and disbarred any ambulance chasers and quit falling into the demands of the ones who don't provide our community with help at all. I am sorry your mom died and I am glad you got to enjoy all that money.