Six million drivers are icing with death

08th January 2010

A shocking one in three motorists admits to driving while their windscreen is still obscured by frost – putting six million drivers in danger of crashing on Britain’s roads this winter, tyre maker Continental claims.

But despite the safety concerns, Auto Express has discovered only two major car brands, Ford and Mazda, fit heated front windows as standard – and then only on some models.

Volkswagen, Land Rover and Jaguar do offer the technology, but as a paid-for option on specific cars, while Kia sells heated windscreen wipers, but not screens. Several manufacturers claimed that there was not sufficient demand by customers for the kit.

But Continental revealed it had seen a huge 40 per cent hike in winter tyre sales since last December – suggesting motorists are in the market for cold weather equipment.

Some makers even blamed their failure to offer a heated windscreen as an option on Ford, which they say owns a patent on the technology. This is something the blue oval hotly denies.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders told us it had no plans to campaign for heated windscreens to be standard on cars. But an Institute of Advanced Motorists spokesman said it was “a big safety concern”.