Two Reasons Why You Shouldn'T Wait To Repair Or Replace Your Windshield
Posted on: 30 May 2017
According to the Insurance Journal, the number one insurance claim is for windshields. This makes sense, since windshields are constantly barraged with airborne projectiles like rocks and bugs. This glass is designed specifically to withstand the onslaught and may only sustain a small ding or crack when hit. Unfortunately, the windshield's toughness makes it easy to ignore the issue or procrastinate getting the damaged fixed. This is not a good idea, and here are two reasons why.
Small Dings Can Sabotage the Windshield's Structural Integrity
Everything about your vehicle is designed to function as a whole. So when one thing on the car or truck weakens, the entire vehicle has an increased risk of sustaining more damage than normal if something happens to it. When it comes to your windshield, chips or cracks can upset its structural integrity and cause problems in a couple of ways.
First, the small ding can quickly become a large crack due to the pressure exerted on it by the vehicle's frame as well as environmental elements. For example, severe heat and cold will make your window expand and contract, which may cause the ding to grow bigger each time it is hot or cold outside.
Second, the ability of the windshield to sustain additional damage drops with each ding it sustains. This means the glass will gradually become more vulnerable to shattering because it's already been weakened by previous damage. The next piece of flying debris that hits your windshield may actually penetrate it and put everyone in the vehicle at risk of being injured.
The Damage Represents a Safety Risk
A damaged windshield increases your risk of sustain serious injury in a vehicle collision. As noted previously, your vehicle is designed to function as a whole, and the windshield provides support to the vehicle's frame. Since cars and trucks are made with much lighter materials these days, the windshield's function as structural support has become even more important than it used to be.
There are a variety of things that can go wrong when you get into an accident with a damaged windshield. If the crack is on the edge of the glass, this may make it more vulnerable to popping out of the frame if you're hit and put you at greater risk of injury from flying debris. The roof of the vehicle is more likely to crumple (and more severely) if the vehicle rolls over, which may result in you being trapped in the vehicle or subjected to crushing injuries.
The windshield is an important aspect of your vehicle, so it's important to get any damage done to it fixed as soon as possible. For more information about this issue or to schedule a time to have a technician fix your windshield, contact a local repair company such as Allstar Glass Corporation.
Share