Winter tyres invalidate your insurance and it’s illegal to drive in wellies: the truth behind these common winter driving myths

As the colder weather sets in and we begin to worry about how to quickly deice or cars, and how to stay safe in icy conditions, the usual winter driving myths begin to rear their heads.

From illegal footwear to leaving your car running unattended, there’s quite a bit of misinformation out there, as well as ignorance of actual laws. To help clear up the confusion and separate fact from fiction we teamed up with the car insurance experts at USwitch to look at the facts around driving in winter.

1. Winter tyres invalidate your insurance

FALSE

Many drivers have winter tyres fitted as they can be safer when driving in cold and wet conditions. While having them fitted can be categorised as a modification, which should be declared to an insurer, most UK insurance providers are signed up to the Association of British Insurers Winter Tyres Motor Insurance Commitment. This means you don't have to notify your insurer because they deem the tyres safer at this time of year.

However, there are still a small number of insurers that aren’t signed up to the ABI's commitment, so it’s important to check this out as you’ll need to contact them if you’re having winter tyres fitted, otherwise your insurance will be invalid.

Winter tyres improve your car's grip in cold weather and won't invalidate your insurance (Photo: Shutterstock)

2. Using hot water to deice your windscreen will crack the glass

TRUE

Whilst flicking on the kettle may seem like a quick fix to removing ice from your windscreen, it can most definitely damage the glass.

The sudden change in temperature can cause the glass to expand and contract rapidly, in rare cases causing it to shatter. But more likely is that the liquid will get into any scratch or chip in the windscreen and when this refreezes it will expand, causing the glass to crack further.

If the crack is particularly large or obscuring your view, you could be breaking the law and face a fine and penalty points if you’re stopped by police.

3. You can be fined if you leave your engine running to defrost the windscreen

TRUE

While many believe this is a myth, if you’re caught leaving your engine running on a public road to defrost your windscreen, you could be slapped with a fine.

The act breaks rule 123 of the Highway Code and is an offence under regulations 98 and 107 of the Road Vehicles (Constructions and Use) Regulations 1986. Motorists who are caught could be charged with a fine of £20, whilst those who refuse to turn the engine off will see it doubled to £40.

4. It's illegal to drive in wellies

FALSE