A wintry mix that brought snow and ice to much of Pennsylvania overnight is causing headaches for drivers who are waking up to find their vehicles frozen over.
There's no quick trick to de-icing your car. And while some drivers may be satisfied to clear enough space on their windshield to see out of, remember: It's the law in Pennsylvania to remove all snow and ice from your car.
Keeping your windshield clean is critical for safe driving, whatever the season, said Ellen Edmonds, public relations manager for AAA. "If a driver’s view of the road is obstructed in any way, this can increase the likelihood of a crash," she said.
Wintry conditions make visibility even more important because you may not be able to slow down and stop as quickly. About one-fourth (24%) of all weather-related vehicle crashes happen on snowy, slushy or icy pavement, and 15% occur during snowfall or sleet, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Each year, more than 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 are injured in crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement, the agency says.
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Will vinegar or hot water help melt the ice?
Patient scrapers will eventually win out over a wintry mix to get their windshield clean for a safer drive. However, shortcuts to clearing your windshield can cause even bigger problems. For instance, a common household quick fix suggests using a mix of vinegar and water (usually three parts to one).
But putting the solution onto an already-frozen windshield won't help, the Farmers' Almanac says, and its use could even hurt your vehicle because vinegar can corrode chrome and paint. That's a similar finding from fact-checking site Snopes.com, which says the vinegar ice removal tip annually arises online each winter.
Some opt to pre-treat their windshield with the solution, applying it with a spray bottle the evening before and then wiping it off. It doesn't hurt to do that, but AAA advises against leaving the solution on the windshield. That's because its freezing point is not much below that of water and there's a potential that vinegar may cause "micro pitting" of the windshield glass. These are tiny craters in the windshield, usually caused by wear and tear of sand and other debris landing on it at high speed. They can result in visibility issues and a weakened windshield, which could eventually crack.
But Edmonds said it can depend on factors such as temperature, ice thickness and when was the vehicle last driven. "Once the ice starts to melt, drivers can begin clearing it off, which would move the process along," she said.
This tried and true solution has less risk, said Jeff Bartlett, managing editor for autos at Consumer Reports. "We haven't evaluated pouring liquids on the windshield. Being creative there brings risk, as some products may damage the wipers or paint," he said.
He notes on ConsumerReports.com that if you are trying to defog your car windows do not use the defrost, but use the vehicle's fan and air conditioner to direct a good blast of warm dry air to the windshield and windows.
Using your car's defroster and a scraper to deice your windshield has been "a reliable tandem for many years," Sadlier said.
Remember to turn on your heated rear windshield so you will be able to see out the back. Heated front windshields are found on a few vehicles — if you own one, you probably aren't reading this.
If you are expecting just a bit of ice or snow, lift the wiper blades off of the glass or consider putting an object such as a small piece of wood between the wiper blades and the windshield. That prevents them from freezing to the glass and makes it easier to remove ice and snow.
How to unlock a frozen car door lock
If you find your locks are frozen and you don't have any commercial de-icer, or you left it inside your frozen vehicle, there are three tricks you can try.
All that hand sanitizer you've hoarded can help due to its high alcohol content. Squirt a little bit of the gel on your key, make sure it covers both sides well, and it should unlock your stuck door lock after a few turns.
You can also try to heat up your key with a lighter. If the lock is completely frozen, you may have to heat your key more than once. Insert the heated key into the lock and gently turn it left and right. This method may take several tries but eventually, it should do the trick.
If you don't have a lighter or hand sanitizer, you may need to rely on the heat of your breath to thaw out your lock. Simply cup your hands around the lock and blow into it for a few minutes. It may be necessary to do this more than once, but your lock should thaw after a while.
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