What To Do If My Windscreen Wipers Stop Working

The importance of your windscreen wipers cannot be overstated. Put simply, if they stopped working, you would miss them. 

Not only that, driving with faulty or broken windscreen wipers will not only lead to a failed MOT test, but it is also against the law.

However, faults can and do arise, so it is important to understand the potential penalties for continuing to drive with malfunctioning wiper blades.

Should this occur while you are driving and using your wiper blades in rainy conditions, here is what you need to do.

•    Don’t panic and stay calm. Reassure your passengers if you need to
•    Assess the situation and adopt immediate caution
•    Identify a location to pull over safely
•    Inspect the mechanism if it is safe to do so
•    Assess whether you need roadside support

Avoid damaging your windscreen wipers by replacing the blades regularly so they don’t allow the build-up of debris that could affect the mechanism’s performance.

With Wiperblades.co.uk you can purchase the wiper blades that are guaranteed to fit your vehicle, all at great value prices, even among top name brands like Bosch, Michelin and Valeo, and they can be fixed in just seconds.

5 Things To Do When Your Windscreen Wipers Fail

1.    Stay Calm

If the mechanism fails to activate or it stops while in use, it is important to stay calm and not panic. The build-up on your windscreen will depend on the severity of the rain and spray on the road but be aware that even in light conditions it will begin to obscure your vision quickly. If you have passengers, reassure them to put them at ease.

2.    Assess The Situation

If vision is obscured, use your side mirrors and rear-view mirror to aid your spatial awareness, and keep a look out for lights on other vehicles to judge your vehicle positioning and gap to the vehicle in front. Reduce your speed and use fluorescent road signs, road markings and ‘cat’s eyes’ to keep driving in a safe manner

3.    Identify A Location To Pull Over

Be on the lookout for a place to bring your vehicle to a stop. This could be a layby, a side road or a junction, depending on where you are driving. Try to avoid simply pulling over on the side of the road or hard shoulder in the interests of safety but if this is not possible, use necessary caution when stationary and getting out of the vehicle – be sure to use hazard lights.

4.    Inspect The Mechanisms

Only if it is safe to do so, exit the car and inspect the mechanism. It is possible a piece of debris is causing it to malfunction or the arm might have come dislodged and can be put back into position.

5.    Assess If You Need Roadside Support

Contact roadside support if you determine the situation cannot be rectified. If you have roadside support already, they should be able to come out to fix the mechanism there and then. Even if you don’t have a roadside support plan, you can sign up for one in the moment to ensure you get the help you need

Don’t Continue Your Journey If…

It is illegal to drive with broken windscreen wipers unless you are travelling to a location that will enable them to be fixed, even in the dry.

If you have pulled over because the mechanism is broken, do not continue your journey if it is still raining. 

Not only that, if the road is still wet, spray from vehicles around you will have the same obscuring effect, so only continue your journey when the road surface has dried too.