Winter can be a very expensive time. Whether it is the increased heating bills or the cost of Christmas, your wallet can often feel rather slim at this time of year.

For that reason, it is understandable for motorists not to want to spend more money on windscreen replacement services. However, you may find that this is something you will need to do.

This could be the case if you find you have a crack in the windscreen. It may be there already, or it could be caused by an unfortunate impact, such as a piece of grit flying up from the road as you follow the gritter lorry down on a freezing night.

Cracks don’t get smaller in any instance – and are most vulnerable to expansion in winter when water can seep into them and then freeze.

The simple reason for this is about the basic science of freeze-thaw. Water starts to expand once it drops below four degrees C and this continues after it freezes. In nature, this helps open up rock fissures and eventually break them up, releasing important nutrients into the soil.

However, while this is beneficial in the natural world, it is bad news for windows, with ice prising the crack open. This can lead to the windscreen breaking altogether, or the crack spreading to the point where it impedes the driver’s vision.

As motoring organisations like the RAC are quick to point out, this is more than just dangerous to drivers and passengers; legally, it can be treated as dangerous driving. If you are stopped, you could get a fine and three points on your licence, while an accident in such circumstances makes it much more likely it will be treated as being your fault.

In addition, if you have an MOT coming up, you can be sure a crack will lead to it being failed.

Suffice to say, such consequences show why trying to save money by not getting a cracked windscreen seen to is a false economy. It could cost you so much more not to have it done.