"Ice missiles" wreaking havoc on drivers in winter months

The UK – along with most developed countries – has laws surrounding driving in winter. One of the most important of these is the requirement to fully clear your car of snow and ice before driving off.

There are a few good reasons for this – improving visibility being particularly crucial, but as this video shows, there's another compelling reason to do so – so-called 'ice missiles'.

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These occur when a clump of snow and ice flies from the roof of a moving car. Usually happening at motorway speeds, these huge lumps of frozen water can have devastating effects if they hit a following vehicle.

The video shows various cars suffering a direct hit from these ice missiles, with shattered windscreens all too common. It includes a safety lesson from the Massachusetts State Police, showing drivers how to clean the snow off their cars effectively.

This message is clear – scrape the snow and ice from your car before setting off. And if you see a car travelling with lots of snow on the roof, give it a wide berth!