Especially in winter it’s that time again – time to scrape ice. Out the door in the morning and disappointment sets in because the windshield is frozen. Now start the engine quickly and the window can be cleared much more quickly, many people think, but it’s better not to do that.
Early in the morning you might want to get to work a little quicker, for example if you’re late. It is all the more annoying when the window is icy due to the night frost. You often think that it would be possible to preheat with the engine running while stationary so that the window can be cleared more quickly and easily, but the ADAC recently warned against this. First of all, according to the experts at Germany’s largest car club, this is extremely harmful to the environment and the engine. Of course, this has been something that has been on the agenda for a long time from the federal government, which responded by tightening the rules accordingly.
Fines for drivers
“When using vehicles, unnecessary noise and avoidable exhaust emissions are prohibited. In particular, it is prohibited to leave vehicle engines running unnecessarily and to close vehicle doors excessively loudly,” says Section 30 of the Road Traffic Act (StVO). A fine of ten to 80 euros is therefore due. These rules also apply on your own property and in the garage and should therefore be observed, especially by attentive neighbors.
Alternatives to heating while stationary
Guides like web.de suggest alternatives to heating while stationary in order to avoid the annoying fine. Parking in a garage and using aluminum mats are of course a sensible alternative. In this case, you can also consider purchasing an auxiliary heater for your car, as it is probably cheaper than constant fines or engine failure.
Johann N. Werther / editorial team finanzen.net