Study Reveals Many UK Motorists Leave Their Car Unattended to Defrost
A January 2025 survey of 1,000 motorists revealed alarming statistics for leaving cars unattended while defrosting. For full details on this worrying trend, read our full report.
Motorists across the UK were quizzed about defrosting habits in freezing temperatures, with many admitting they leave their vehicle unattended. Our stats showed:
- 25-34-year-olds are the most at risk, with almost one in three admitting they leave their vehicle unattended.
- Conversely, with over 55s only one in ten said they would do the same.
Worse still, many motorists do this in cities with reportedly high crime rates. 30% of responders in Belfast said they leave their vehicle unattended. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that there has been a 43.56% increase in vehicle thefts or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle in the UK since 2020.
Our study found
- One in three 25-34-year-olds (30%) leave cars unattended.
- 30% of motorists in Belfast leave cars unattended.
- Motorists in Northern Ireland are almost twice as likely to leave their cars unattended while defrosting compared to those in Wales.
- One in five motorists in Greater London risk damaging their vehicles by using boiling water to de-ice their cars.
- Over 55s are the most security conscious.
Dangers of invalidating insurance
Motorists can invalidate their car insurance if they leave the vehicle unattended. That’s even if they can clearly see the vehicle. If they can’t control what happens to it, then it’s a risk.
In many insurance contracts, a clause states you cannot leave a vehicle alone with the engine running and keys in the ignition.
Police forces across the UK have issued warnings to avoid doing this. Staffordshire police force stated:
“We see an increase in theft of motor vehicles when the bad weather arrives due to people leaving vehicles unattended to defrost the windscreens.
“Make sure you stay with your vehicle at all times when it’s defrosting, or running. Also, keep your keys with you at all times.”
Motorists looking to defrost their vehicles safely should remain with the vehicle while it defrosts.
Complete list of stats by city
The list below reveals the full extent of motorists’ habits during the winter months.
| City | % who would leave car unattended |
| Belfast | 30% |
| Birmingham | 21% |
| Brighton | 12% |
| Bristol | 22% |
| Cardiff | 9% |
| Edinburgh | 15% |
| Glasgow | 15% |
| Leeds | 18% |
| Liverpool | 24% |
| London | 18% |
| Manchester | 19% |
| Newcastle | 14% |
| Norwich | 30% |
| Nottingham | 27% |
| Plymouth | 21% |
| Sheffield | 20% |
| Southampton | 18% |
De-icing with danger
Our study also revealed how motorists go about defrosting their windscreens. One in five motorists aged 18-24 admitted to having used boiling water to defrost their windscreen. This is in stark contrast to over 55s, where on 7% said they’d done the same. Whilst many use car heaters, de-icers and scrapers to remove frost; many are running the risk of damaging their windscreen with boiling water. In Greater London, 20% of motorists will boil the kettle as opposed to waiting for the windscreen to defrost using the car’s heater.
It’s not just boiling water that could be a risky way to help your car deal with a cold snap. One in ten also said they’d used credit or debit cards rather than ice-scrapers. This could be seen as a quick way to clear your windscreen, but it’s a risky tactic when you consider that you could easily snap your debit/credit card in the process.
The below table shows the breakdown of motorists by city and how they’re defrosting their windscreens.
| City | Ice scraper | Car heater | De-icer | Windscreen cover | Boiling water | Credit card |
| Belfast | 20.00% | 40.00% | 44.00% | 8.00% | 28.00% | 4.00% |
| Birmingham | 55.13% | 48.72% | 38.46% | 20.51% | 10.26% | 11.54% |
| Brighton | 38.89% | 55.56% | 27.78% | 5.56% | 5.56% | 16.67% |
| Bristol | 55.26% | 47.37% | 50.00% | 21.05% | 2.63% | 7.89% |
| Cardiff | 36.36% | 63.64% | 31.82% | 27.27% | 36.36% | 18.18% |
| Edinburgh | 64.52% | 38.71% | 61.29% | 12.90% | 3.23% | 9.68% |
| Glasgow | 56.25% | 56.25% | 46.88% | 21.88% | 9.38% | 3.13% |
| Leeds | 46.67% | 46.67% | 48.89% | 20.00% | 8.89% | 6.67% |
| Liverpool | 48.65% | 40.54% | 51.35% | 29.73% | 10.81% | 2.70% |
| London | 44.81% | 46.23% | 36.79% | 16.04% | 12.26% | 9.91% |
| Manchester | 53.45% | 44.83% | 37.93% | 18.97% | 12.07% | 6.90% |
| Newcastle | 74.07% | 40.74% | 62.96% | 11.11% | 3.70% | 7.41% |
| Norwich | 72.00% | 52.00% | 40.00% | 12.00% | 16.00% | 12.00% |
| Nottingham | 61.29% | 58.06% | 48.39% | 6.45% | 3.23% | 9.68% |
| Plymouth | 45.45% | 50.00% | 36.36% | 9.09% | 9.09% | 0.00% |
| Sheffield | 42.86% | 46.43% | 60.71% | 25.00% | 17.86% | 7.14% |
| Southampton | 56.25% | 34.38% | 50.00% | 15.63% | 15.63% | 12.50% |
Tips for vehicle safety in winter
To defrost vehicles in freezing temperatures, and to drive safely, motorists should:
- Keep lights, windows and mirrors clean from ice or snow.
- Ensure wipers and defrosters work.
- Add anti-freeze to radiators and winter additive to windscreen washer bottles.
- If visibility is poor, drive slowly with low-beam headlights.
- Avoid driving in extreme snowfall.
- Perform regular brake tests.
You should also be vigilant of ice and allow extra time for journeys so you can drive at a safer (lower) speed than normal.
Data sources
- ONS data shows there were 89,072 reported thefts or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle between April 2020 and March 2021, compared to 127,874 between October 2023 and September 2024.
