AN increase in the number of people using boiling water to de-ice their windscreens has contributed to an increase in call-outs to repair or replace cracked glass.

The number of cracked windscreens shot up over Christmas and the new year compared to the same period the year before.

RAC Auto Windscreens saw calls for help rise by 75% between December 23 and January 2, with the coldest day – December 28 – prompting an increase in calls of 126% year on year.

Many callers reported cracked screens after trying to defrost them with hot water.

RAC Auto Windscreens’ technical and safety manager, Chris Bonsall, said: ‘What many motorists don’t realise is that if their windscreen has a chip or damage then the extreme of hot on cold can cause the windscreen to crack.

‘It takes at least five minutes to fully de-ice a car so a kettle of boiling water is always a tempting option but one that should be avoided at all costs.’