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Did you know that it is illegal in Luxembourg to leave your car engine running while the vehicle is stationary to warm the engine or defrost the car? Did you also know you could be fined for it?

As temperatures drop below zero, many residents seem oblivious of this law. As every year, police will soon release reminders of this regulation.

Traffic regulation article 160-1f when translated, reads: "It is forbidden to leave an engine of a stationary vehicle running without technical reason for a prolonged period of time, whether stopped, parked, or in a garage even for warming the engine, or heating the vehicle's interior."

This law means that defrosting vehicle windscreens using the engine while the car is stationary is forbidden.

Breaking the law could mean a fine of €49.

What this means is that the scraping or spray methods of clearing windscreens are the only legal options.

The reason for this law is pollution-related and the fact that a cold engine works harder and pollutes more than a heated one.

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