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There are plenty of risks involved if you drive with a cracked or chipped windshield. A damaged windshield is not just an ugly blemish on your beloved car as it can also be a major safety concern according to experts. This is where windshield replacement comes in handy. 

Experts say that driving when your windshield is damaged can put your life at risk as well as the lives of other drivers on the road. This is because a damaged windshield makes you more prone to getting into an accident. 

Damaged windshields or those that weren’t glued and set in place properly could pop out when a collision happens. Since the windshield offers your car with structural support, it means that an incorrectly installed windshield can even make the roof of your vehicle to collapse.

Windshields are part of the vehicle’s overall structural integrity and they protect occupants during accidents, specifically rollover accidents. The A-pillars, or the frame running from the windshield’s side to the rear part of the car, are now getting thinner by the day. 

This is why windshields have now become more of a safety feature than what they used to be four decades ago. If you don’t replace the windshield properly, you cannot expect it to adhere to your car correctly as well. 

Why are Windshields Important, Anyway? 

A chipped or cracked windshield might just seem like a very minor inconvenience for you. However, if you don’t fix it on time, it might result to major safety risks. 

The windshield of your car is not only an ornamental or aesthetic feature. Keeping you protected from flying debris and wind is just the least that it can do. The windshield also gives your car a structural integrity. 

Driving when your windshield is damaged can increase the risks of getting into a perilous accident. Windshields also serve as the supportive beam for your vehicle and when the windshield is cracked or chipped, it can make your car roof weak and feeble. 

As you know, a weakened car roof has higher risks of collapsing during accidents. During collisions, the windshield can also reduce the effects of the impact of the accident on the interior of your car, which then protects you and your passengers. 

The windshield also directs the airbags’s deployment once your vehicle gets into a collision. When your windshield is damaged, it cannot handle the force of the collision that can lead to a failed deployment of the airbag. It can cause grave injuries or even death in worst case scenarios. 

Driving with Cracked Windshields 

A reliable windshield expert can fix many smaller chips easily. However, for chips that are too big or those that already expand the width or length of a credit card, it is important to get a windshield replacement at the soonest time possible. 

Standard windshields are composed of two transparent glass pieces glued to the vinyl resin in the middle. This vinyl resin ensures that the glass stays in place during a collision or impact and prevents the glass shards from flying everywhere that can lead to grave injuries or fatality. 

But, according to experts, the moment the safety layer or vinyl resin has been chipped or cracked, the windshield will no longer be able to endure more impact and it won’t be able to protect both you and your passengers. Large cracks can also have a negative effect on your vision and can reflect the glares of the sun that can make it harder or even impossible to see.

The Need for Professional Windshield Replacement 

It doesn’t cost you much to repair most windshield chips and cracks. But, when the chip is already too large to repair or when the original crack was too wide or deep, it is important to get the help of a qualified professional who can replace your windshield. 

Even if the process of windshield replacement can take less than one hour, it is important that you look for and choose a professional who have the expertise and uses the correct tools for the job. An expert technician will replace the rubberized weather stripping first holding the windshield to the car’s frame along the boundaries of the glass. Usually, after the weather stripping and exterior trim is removed, an adhesive coating will be applied along the tips of the frame of the windshield before the glass is lifted into place. 

Many of the latest vehicle models have their windshields glued in place. The old windshield should be cut out first from the vehicle. The glass and body will then be prepped and cleaned. The replacement windshield and the moldings, if needed, will be installed in the vehicle again with urethane-type glue. It will then be allowed to cure within a short period of time before the car could be taken out to the road again. 

Cost of Windshield Replacement 

The average cost of installing a new windshield can range from $170 up to $300 or even more. Most insurance policies cover the cost of windshield replacement although it is best that you check with your provider first. For example, if your deductible is worth $500, it is possible that you will have to shoulder the entire cost. 

Experts say that if you are unsure whether you need windshield repair or replacement, it is best that you let a professional check your vehicle as soon as you can.  

If a star chip or ding doesn’t get repaired right away, it can spread and become a crack that will require a replacement. Extreme cold or heat can cause stress on the area affected and it can make it grow bigger. Guidelines tend to differ in the industry but for most, the damage must have the size as that of a quarter or less. 

Your windshield is an important structural component of your car. This offers support for the pillar and roof area. For this reason, you have to ensure that you don’t cut corners during the process of windshield replacement. 

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