The windshields of our cars are the one that shields you from the elements outside your car while also giving you vision of the road ahead. But what should you do if your windshield cracks while driving?
How do they get cracked
As the windshield is the part of your car responsible for protecting its occupants from the elements and deflecting the wind away, and the main cause of cracks are rocks that get caught up in the wind (especially on highways where speed gets fast), that can potentially chip your windshield and even lead to cracks that go across a part of the windshield. Small cracks if not fixed in time.
What to do if you get it while driving
If your windshield gets a crack while you’re driving, don’t panic and if it doesn’t impact your visibility too much, you can keep on driving to your destination and book a trip to the mechanic. If the crack impacts your visibility or you’re worried, slow down and pull over to the side of the road, and determine whether to continue driving or call for a tow truck.
Why you shouldn’t worry
People have already thought of this and ways to make a windshield sturdy and last longer, so you don’t need to worry about your windshield shattering on impact as it would almost never happen even if involved in a major accident.
Windshields on modern cars are generally made with laminated safety glass, where two pieces of toughened glass sandwich a strengthened layer of plastic that holds the glass together and prevents them from shattering and damaging its occupants if it breaks. It is then glued to the frame of the car as the best way of securing the windshield to the car.
Windshield damage and repairs
Although laminated glass is quite sophisticated, it can be repaired if damage is light enough and doesn’t affect crucial areas of the windshield like the corners that hold the windshield in place. Damaged windshields can impact the driver’s visibility of the road ahead and should be repaired as soon as possible if damage occurs.
Small damages can be repaired either through DIY kits or bringing it to a repair shop, but severe damage to windshields should always warrant a replacement, to ensure the safety of occupants.