Clean Windscreen Needed In Winter

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 48, 19 May 1987, Page 8 (Supplement)

Clean Windscreen Needed In Winter

A dirty windscreen is like a curtain; the nearer a driver gets to it, the better the road ahead can be seen. Curved windscreens improve a car's appearance, but drivers cannot sit up close to them and so they don't see the road ahead as well as they should, even in ideal weather conditions. Tjie'problem worsens on a wet winter night. Pedestrians, particularly those in dark clothing, are dillicull to discern and riders of ill-lil bicycles can be almost invisible even to a wary driver.

Raindrops on the windscreen become a mass of the brightest stars as they reflect each source of illumination within the driver's field of vision. Water streaks across the screen show up as neon lights. While it is inescapable i that a driver will not see so well on a wet night as on a fine one, there is no doubt that efficient windscree-n wipers clear the way to better driving vision. Many car owners evidently believe that windscreen wipers have eternal life breathed upon them by their makers. Nothing Could be more ridiculous. Windscreen wipers, like all man-made products, do wear out and become increasingly inefficient in the process. They no longer wipe the screen clean, as they leave water droplets and streaks behind them. The effective life of a windscreen wiper blade is largely dependent upon the amount of care and attention an owner lavishes on the car. People who wait until it rains and then switch on the wipers to clear away accumulated road grime will find wiper blade life distressingly short. They will also have to contend with a windscreen scarred by hairline scratches. To maintain a clear view of the road ahead, windscreen care is of prime importance. Keep it clean. To wash the screen, soap or detergent and a soft sponge are best. Don't use ordinary paper or a cloth that has been in contact with the car's paintwork. In fact, it pays to keep a special chamois leather just for windscreen cleaning. These days all cars are equipped with windscreen washers which spray water on to the screen leaving a wet surface for the wipers to work on. To aid the cleaning process it makes sense to add a measure of good detergent to the water in the windscreen washer reservoir. Most of these detergents will not only help to clean the screen, but also lower the freezing point sufficiently to keep the screen ice-free. Never use engine anti-freeze in the washer reservoir. It won't do the paintwork any good at all.