A cold morning. A fogged windscreen. And one tiny, dangerous shortcut. Many drivers scrape a small “peephole” in the mist and pull away, hoping the rest will clear as they go. But what happens when a cyclist appears from nowhere? When a child steps off the kerb? When the law decides your “good enough” view was neg… Continues…

That rushed decision to drive with only part of the windscreen cleared is more than a bad habit; it’s a direct threat to everyone on the road. The Highway Code is clear: you must have full, unobstructed visibility. If you collide with someone while peering through a small cleared patch, investigators may treat that choice as negligence, turning an “honest mistake” into evidence against you.

Yet the fix is almost embarrassingly simple. Keep a clean cloth within reach. Switch on demisters and give them time to work before moving. Clear every section of glass, inside and out, even if it means leaving a few minutes earlier. Those extra moments can be the difference between a normal commute and a life-changing incident. On cold mornings, patience is not a luxury; it’s your first act of responsibility to everyone sharing the road.