Prevent Damage To Your Windshield With These Tips

When you drive your car, the windshields are right there in front of you but more often than not, we tend to ignore them. Keeping them clean, clear, and free of damage can help prevent you from meeting an accident due to visibility issues. Just like your tires, you should also take care of your windshield.  You may regularly clean them up to make the road ahead more visible but have you ever thought of ways on how to prevent damaging it?

Types Of Windshield Damage

Windshields don’t only protect you from the wind, they also protect you in case of an accident or from other flying objects on the road. That is why it is important to make sure that they aren’t cracked or damaged. Damages could decrease the integrity of your windshield so it is best to avoid them. Some of the most common damages that could happen to your windshield are the following:

Crack

A crack in the windshield looks like a single line that could be less than an inch or longer. A crack is a single line and there are no other lines that are connected or extend from it. This kind of damage can be repaired.

Chip

A chip is described as a piece of glass that has been removed from the windshield. Chips are small and sometimes people don’t easily notice them especially if they are around the edges. The windshield will usually get chipped when a rock hits it. If the chip is less than an inch in diameter and there are no cracks extending from it, then it can be repaired or filled.

Bulls Eye

With this kind of damage, you’d observe the appearances of a bullseye on the windshield. The center is the point of impact and circular damage is usually observed around it. With this kind of damage, the windshield needs to be replaced.

Stars

Stars are chips but they also have cracks that extend from them. Some of these can be repaired if they are small. However, the repaired stars won’t look flawless and would be obvious. However, getting them repaired is better than just leaving them as they are.

How To Avoid Windshield Damage

You can’t really predict if a stone or rock would hit your windshield and damage it. However, you can still lessen the chances of damaging your windshield by doing the following:

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Although you can’t control the weather, the things you do to the windshield while exposed in extreme temperatures could cause damage to it. When it is cold, you should use the defroster. This will heat up gradually so the windshield won’t crack. Don’t pour hot water on the ice because a sudden change in the temperature could possibly cause cracks.

Also, when parking your vehicle, it is best to park in the shade so that your windshields aren’t directly hit by the sun. Although the heat won’t really crack it, it can make the windshield unstable because it causes the glass to expand.

Immediately Repair Any Minor Damages

Minor damages should be immediately repaired to prevent it from getting worse. The small chips and small cracks can get bigger if you don’t tend to them immediately. When that happens, you might need to replace your whole windshield instead of just repairing it. Also, if you expose the cracks and chips to dirt, it can be more complicated to repair.

Check Your Windshield Regularly

Look closely at your windshield from time to time. Sometimes, it can be difficult to notice small cracks and chips. However, you need to check carefully to discover it immediately and repair it before you use your vehicle once again.

Drive Carefully

The rocks and debris that could hit your windshield are from the road. They could fly towards your windshield as a result of the car in front of you running over them. With knowing that, then you should keep your distance from other vehicles especially if you are driving on gravel. Additionally, some trucks could also be carrying various construction materials that could fly off towards your car. This is especially true if they didn’t effectively cover their cargo with a tarp. Always make sure to keep your distance and

Slowing down also helps. If you are driving fast the impact of the object that would hit your windshield would also be stronger. That could cause more severe damage than when you’re driving at a slower speed.

Accidents happen unexpectedly and usually at the worst time.  That’s why it makes good sense to have a trusted towing partner on call to help with a roadside incident occurs.  Call the accident recovery experts today for immediate, hassle-free help…

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