Driver fined £100 after driving with windscreen almost COMPLETELY misted over

A DRIVER has been slapped with a £100 fine after driving with their windscreen almost completely misted over.

The bonkers motorist had decided to set off despite only having a tiny “porthole” to see through.

1

Police Scotland said they recently pulled over the car in Bonhill, West Dunbartonshire, as schools finished for the day.

Baffled cops shared a snap of the obscured windscreen in a warning to other drivers starting their journey in a hurry when temperatures suddenly take a dive.

The image shows the minuscule peephole on the driver’s side of the car completely surrounded by mist.

The force said the driver had not sufficiently demisted their windows “placing children and other road-users at risk”.

They were handed a £100 fine and three points on their licence for the dangerous display.

Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division shared the shocking picture on Facebook, urging other road users to only set off when safe to do so.

The post read: “When it’s cold, wet and often icy, it’s important to take extra time to make sure your vehicle is safe for the journey ahead.

“Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division Road Policing Officers stopped this vehicle in Bonhill as the schools were coming out.

“The driver had not sufficiently demisted their windows placing children and other road-users at risk.”

Outraged social media users branded the gaffe “idiotic” and slammed the unknown culprit for hastily departing before the windscreen had cleared.

One wrote: “‘Would love to hear the driver argue their case suggesting that wee peephole was sufficient.”

Another added: “That’s just sheer stupidity!”

While a third chimed in: “Wow I have no words. Why would you even get in that and drive?”

The cold weather has forced rushing Brits to start the day even earlier to ensure their vehicle is road-worthy for their journey to work.

Snowstorms, intense rainfall and plummeting temperatures mean motorists have been defrosting their vehicles, scraping snow off the roof and cleaning windows and lights to comply with the law.

But although nipping out to switch your engine on early may seem like a clever way to make your car comfy and defrost the windscreen, it can invalidate your insurance if you leave the motor running unattended.

That is because most brokers will refuse to pay out if drivers fail to live up to their “duty of care” — a common clause in contracts.

Michael Lloyd, the AA’s insurance director, said: “Every winter we get reports of members’ cars that have disappeared off drives.

“The fact is that the keys are the weakest link in the car security chain and leaving your car unattended, unlocked and with the keys in in it is simply inviting it to be stolen.

“If it is ticking over, warming up, it makes the thief’s job very easy.

“Every insurance policy carries with it a ‘duty of care’ which means that you should take reasonable steps to protect your property and not do anything that could avoidably lead to loss or damage.

“And leaving your car with the engine running falls squarely into that category.

“No insurance company will meet a claim where you have left your car open to be stolen.”