Everyone may experience cracks on their windshield due to flying rocks on the highway, or larger debris. However, most people ignore these seemingly small issues as they don’t know the true dangers and risks of a cracked windshield.
It’s important to contact an auto glass specialist instead of a general auto body shop. Let the technicians at Wizard Auto Glass take a look at your windshield where they specialize in windshield repair. Don’t hesitate to contact us as we guarantee the lowest price and can provide a free quote.
Risks of Driving with a Cracked Windshield
Standard windshields are made of two transparent pieces of glass that are glued with vinyl resin in the middle. The vinyl resin acts to keep the glass together and prevent shards of glass from flying, which can cause serious injury or death. In every case of collision, shattering glass poses as a huge risk to the safety of the passengers.
Loss of Structural Integrity:
In the case of a front-end collision, the windshield transfers the force of a collision to the chassis (or the underpart of the vehicle). As a result, the force of collision is felt less by passengers and keeps them safer. If your windshield shatters because it was cracked, passengers inside are at a greater risk of sustaining injuries from the collision.
Dangers in a Rollover Accident:
An undamaged windshield also provides support that keeps a roof from caving in the case where a car is flipped upside down. In the case of a vehicle rollover, a crack in the windshield can put the passengers at risk of avoidable injury.
Increased Risk of Ejection:
If a passenger’s seat belt isn’t fastened (it always should be!) an uncracked windshield helps prevent them from being thrown out of the vehicle. A damaged windshield that can shatter upon impact is not effective at offering sturdy protection.
Ineffective Airbags:
When a collision triggers the deployment of the airbags, the windshield acts as the backstop that causes the airbag to deploy towards the passengers. The force of inflation can shatter a damaged windshield and inflate through the opening. This leaves riders without the safety of airbags and can lead to critical and life threatening injuries.
Impairs Visibility:
Cracks in your windshield are also a danger as they also impair your vision as the cracks are difficult to see through and can reflect light in unusual ways. Additionally, drivers may also be ticketed because the cracks act as a distraction to the driver and poses as a danger to the passengers, as well as other vehicles and pedestrians.
It’s even important to get tiny dents and cracks fixed, as they can get bigger and you can’t always tell the extent of the damage, despite how it looks.
How to not worsen the damage:
- Don’t expose your windshield to extreme temperature changes. If you must defrost your windshield, do so slowly
- Don’t jolt your car or slam your doors. The extra pressure will only pose a risk to worsen the damage
- Don’t wash your vehicle. The cracks can get bigger if water is able to get in between the glass.