If you are driving around in a car with a chipped or cracked windshield, you may think it is okay to continue driving the vehicle until you find the time to have the glass repaired or replaced. What you may not know is that continuing to drive in this manner may be risky for some very important reasons.
The risk of more extensive injuries during an automobile accident
The most important, and possibly least well-known, reason to have damaged windshields repaired immediately is that they can fail to perform as designed in a crash situation. Vehicle designs depend on the glass to help strengthen the entire passenger compartment. When automotive glass is kept in good condition it can often help to save lives during crash situations by helping to keep occupants inside the vehicle and helping to maintain the shape of the passenger compartment during a rollover crash. Windshields that have cracks or chips have weak points that are much more likely to fail during single and multiple-car crash situations, creating increased opportunities for both passengers and drivers to be seriously injured.
The inability to have clear, uninterrupted vision while driving
When driving a vehicle with damage to the windshield, drivers are more apt to experience vision issues that can result in an accident involving another vehicle, bicycle rider, or pedestrian. Windshield cracks and rock chips can distort vision and make it more difficult for drivers to judge distance accurately or notice small objects in the roadway in time to safely apply the brakes or swerve to avoid impact.
The likelihood of expanding the glass damage
Drivers should also consider the likelihood that ignoring existing glass damage will allow it to expand and further diminish their visibility and weaken the windshield. Ignoring glass damage when it first occurs can also result in the need to have the windshield replaced, instead of repaired because the area of damage is likely to have grown.
In winter, glass damage is even more likely to expand if not attended to when it first occurs. Drastic temperature changes that occur when an icy windshield is defrosted can cause cracks and chips to expand suddenly. These sudden temperature changes can also occur in summer if a car with a damaged windshield is parked in the sun and then subjected to cold air from the air conditioning vents.
To learn more about the importance of having your damaged windshield repaired or replaced, contact a professional glass windshield repair shop in your area.
Share12 May 2023
Visit any neighborhood in the country, and the houses will all have one thing in common: glass windows. There's simply no better material for sealing off a window opening while still allowing you to see through to the outdoors! Glass windows come in all sorts of varieties, too. There's energy-efficient low-e glass and hardy security glass, for example. And windows are far from the only item made from glass. You can also find jewelry, decor, and even makeup compacts made from this material. We think glass deserves more attention, which is why we founded this blog. Here, we write about glass, and we hope you enjoy reading what we have to say.
