DRIVERS have been warned after a motorist was slapped with a £60 fine for not properly clearing the ice from his car’s windows.
Sussex Police pulled over the male driver in Civic Way, Burgess Hill, on Sunday morning.
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The driver had only bothered to clear small sections of ice from the widescreen and side windows.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “We stopped the driver of this car over the weekend in Burgess Hill who thought it acceptable to drive with only clearing this small area of windscreen and side windows.
“A ticket was issued and windows cleared before he went on his way.”
The practice known as “portholing” – clearing just enough ice off your windscreen so you can see out of it – can land drivers with a £60 fine and three penalty points on your licence, according to the RAC.
Rule 229 of the Highway Code states that before setting off in the winter drivers should make sure that they clear all snow and ice from their windows.
Failure to do so means you wouldn’t have a full view of the road and traffic ahead and could land you a fine for your car being in a “dangerous condition”.
The rule not only applies to ice or snow but you could also be fined for having too much mist or condensation on the windows.
It comes as yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and fog are in place for many parts of the UK, including Sussex, as the UK suffered the coldest night of the year with the mercury plunging to -17.3C in Braemar, Scotland.
Motorists have been told to only drive if absolutely necessary amid fears icy roads will cause accidents and long tailbacks.
Treacherous icy conditions on the roads come as slushy snow is expected to freeze over.
Jack Cousens, a spokesman at the AA, said: “Motorists should take real care over the coming day as driving conditions in large parts of the country will be treacherous with ice.
“While main roads and motorways will be the priority, many smaller suburban and rural roads won’t be cleared.
“Motorists should plan ahead and assess whether their journey is essential until later in the week when the temperature rises and the snow melts.”
The breakdown service said they saw a 135 per cent increase in the
number of people calling for advice following crashes this weekend.
Police also reported an “unusually high number of crashes” on roads.
A Level 3 Cold Weather Alert covering all of England has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) until December 16.
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