A cold, misted windscreen feels like a minor inconvenience, but on the road it becomes a silent threat. Condensation can build in seconds on damp autumn mornings, turning every junction, cyclist and pedestrian into a blur. The Highway Code is blunt: if your view is obstructed, you’re breaking the law. If something goes wrong, that “quick wipe and hope for the best” can suddenly look reckless in court.

For the sake of a few pounds, the solution is almost embarrassingly simple. Keeping a microfibre cloth in the car, taking two extra minutes to fully clear the glass, and waiting for demisters to do their job can be the difference between a normal day and a life-changing mistake. Behind every fine, every penalty point, there’s often a driver who thought they’d get away with it – until they didn’t.