Why Do People Leave Their Windshield Wipers up in the Winter?

If ice and snow are in the forecast, chances are you’ll spot parked cars with their windshield wipers up and pointed outward like spindly arms.

It’s a popular practice. The Farmer’s Almanac once conducted a poll on Facebook which revealed that more than twice the number of drivers who live in snowy areas leave their windshield wipers up when snow is in the forecast. The American Automobile Association (AAA) has also weighed in with the recommendation that decoupling your windshield wipers from the windshield in icy weather is sound winter car care.

Leaving your windshield wipers up isn’t without its drawbacks, however. So is it smart car care or a pointless and possibly damaging winter car care practice? Here’s a look at both sides of the debate.

Reasons to Keep Windshield Wipers Up

For drivers who regularly battle windshield ice and snow, scraping a heavily coated windshield can be a frustrating winter car care task. If windshield wipers freeze in place as rain turns to snow, or if snow melts and refreezes, it’s especially challenging to scrape around wipers unless they’re already pulled up.

Plus, aggressively scraping can nick and damage rubber wiper blades when they’re frozen in place, as can running frozen, stiff rubber blades across a windshield that’s still defrosting and ice-coated.

One more point for the wipers-up camp: If you turned off the car before turning off the wipers, restarting the car could reactivate the wiper motor. And if the wipers are frozen in place, that motor could potentially burn out trying to move them.

Reasons to Keep Windshield Wipers Down

Reason number one, cited by the Farmers’ Almanac, is that you can damage the springs in the wiper arms if you lift your windshield wipers too far.

Reason number two comes from the Glass Doctor: Windshield wiper blades can damage the cold, brittle glass of the windshield when they snap back down. To prevent this, AAA recommends placing a block of wood under your wipers to decouple them from the windshield rather than pulling them all the way up.

Remote starters, as well as overall better technology, can be a reason to leave the wipers in place on the windshield, even on icy days. Cars, windshields and rear-view windows warm up faster and better than before. If you have a few minutes to let the engine run, any ice should be melted by the time you climb behind the wheel. Just remember to always double-check that the wipers are off before exiting your car to head off the wiper-motor burnout mentioned above—especially if you have a remote starter.

Some people argue that leaving wipers up also invites vandals to mess with them. No one wants to have to add “replace windshield wiper” to their to-do list, during inclement weather, especially.

While We’re Talking Winter Wiper Blades

If you live in a region that takes the brunt of winter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests adding windshield-wiper inspection and possible replacement to annual winterize-your-vehicle chores. You may want to invest in heavy-duty wipers designed for winter, too.

Replacing wiper blades is an easy DIY task. Here’s how long you can expect your windshield wipers to last.

Sources

• Farmers’ Almanac: The Great Wiper Debate: Up or Down?.
• AAA: How to Deice Your Car’s Windshield
• The Glass Doctor: Should You Put Your Windshield Wipers Up When It Snows?
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Winter Weather Driving Tips