As the temperature drops, many of us are having to get up that bit earlier to defrost the car. Could you be at risk of breaking the law as you struggle to defrost your car? Well, if you have a habit of leaving your car running, but unattended you could be...

Police advice is: "Anyone who needs to defrost their vehicle must ensure they stay with it and don't leave it unattended with the keys inside.

"Leaving the engine running to 'warm up' during the winter months not only risks having the vehicle stolen, it's against the law."

"Don't make it easy for opportunist thieves because they don't even have to go to the trouble of breaking into your vehicle if you have left it running for them.

"Insurance companies may not pay out if a vehicle is stolen in this way."

So, with that in mind, here are some tips on how to defrost you car quickly, to things you should and shouldn't do when you're scraping the frost away, make sure you take note!

Here are some things you NEED to know if you defrost and/or de-mist your car this winter:

1. Make sure your engine is on!

It sounds silly, but make sure your engine is on, turn up your blowers as hot as the temperature will go. Make sure you also have them directed at your front windscreen and turn on the back windscreen heater too.

If you have heated wing mirrors make sure they are on as well, there's nothing worse than thinking you have defrosted everything to realise you forgot about them!

2. Turn your A/C on

If you have air conditioning then switch it on, while most think it is just for hot weather, it can also be used in cold weather. According to the AA's website using A/C will remove moisture from the air meaning the inside of your car is less likely to freeze.

3. Don't leave your car

While it might be tempting to turn your car on and leave it, you should never go far because it is actually illegal to leave your car unattended. As well as committing an offence you also put your car at risk of being stolen. If the keys are in the car you are also unlikely to be covered by your insurance, so not only could your car be stolen, you would be left without any compensation.

4. Remove any snow

You should make sure that you remove any snow from your car. There's nothing worse than a load of snow landing on your car from the car in front, or a load of snow being picked up from your bonnet dumping it on your windscreen and obstructing your view.

5. Boiling water is a no, no!

NEVER use boiling water on your car, as tempting as it might be, never use it as a way to de-ice your car - it could easily crack your windscreen.

6. Get some de-icer and a scraper

Nothing beats a bit of hard work, get yourself some de-icer and a good scraper and you'll soon have your car defrosted in no time.

7. Don't use your hands to clean the glass!

Don't be tempted to save money and use your hands to clear the screen. Not only will you get very cold hands, you will smear the screen, and if you have jewellery a diamond ring will easily scratch the glass.

8. Make sure that you clear all of the windows and windscreens

There's nothing worse than peaking through a tiny hole in the frost, and it can be dangerous too. Make sure it's completely clear before you set off, even if you think you'll be OK being able to see through a square inch!

9. Take your wipers off auto

If you have automatic wipers make sure you turn them off when the weather turns cold. If they are on auto they might try to move, but if they are frozen in place they could damage the motor and break.

So, as the mornings get colder and colder, make sure you allow enough time to properly clear your windscreen.

10. Open your sun visors

Opening your sun visor whilst blasting your heating will speed up the process of defrosting.