Driving safely during the winter requires keeping your windshield in good condition so you can maintain a clear view of the road. In addition, the average automobile windshield provides up to 30 percent of a vehicle's structural support, so having a structurally sound windshield can also help protect your family if you become involved in some types of automobile collisions.
However, some of your winter habits could lead to windshield damage over time or impair your visibility while driving. Read on to learn four tips for winter windshield care so you can avoid windshield damage and drive more safely all winter long.
1. Repair All Windshield Cracks and Chips Before They Worsen
While all windshield cracks and chips should be repaired as soon as possible, it is especially important to have cracks and chips repaired promptly during the winter months. During the winter months, vehicle glass expands and contracts as temperatures fluctuate.
The stress placed on a crack when the window expands and contracts can cause it to enlarge much more quickly than it would during the warmer months of the year or. Even worse, these fluctuations could cause your windshield to shatter if it has cracks. In addition, if water enters a windshield crack and then freezes, this can place additional stress on the crack that enlarges it or breaks your windshield.
A study conducted by the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) revealed that a windshield crack is 60 percent more likely to spread when outdoor temperatures drop below 32 degrees F than when outdoor temperatures are warmer.
2. Avoid These Windshield Ice Removal Tactics
When you find your windshield covered with ice that you need to remove quickly before you begin driving, you may be tempted to use windshield ice removal tactics that can potentially damage your windshield.
Just a few ice removal tactics that you should never use on your windshield include:
- Scraping ice off with objects other than plastic windshield scrapers. Removing ice with any tool not designed for use on an automobile windshield, such as a shovel or butter knife, can lead to windshield damage, especially if it is made of metal.
- Pouring hot water on your windshield. Pouring hot water on a windshield can create glass thermal shock that shatters the windshield glass immediately.
- Melting ice with a hair dryer. Not only can the heat from a hair dryer also cause windshield thermal shock, but it can also damage your window seals.
Ideally, you should turn on your automobile windshield defroster and allow it to run for several minutes before scraping loosened ice off your windshield with an ice scraper designed for automobile use. However, if you need to speed up removal even further, try gently spraying the ice with a salt water solution or a special deicer solution made for automobile windows before scraping ice off.
Avoid using a salt water spray on your windshield on a daily basis and instead use it on an occasional basis only to avoid windshield damage that can occur when this solution is overused.
3. Use the Right Windshield Washer Fluid
While keeping your windshield clean is important for safe winter driving, this can be a tough task when driving on winter roads covered in salt and mud-filled slush. However, the right windshield wiper fluid can make keeping your windows clean much easier.
Some windshield washer fluids can freeze in cold temperatures, which can lead to them either freezing inside of your windshield washer fluid reservoir or freezing on your windshield as soon as the solution is sprayed onto it, creating a sheet of ice. Both problems can lead to difficulty removing dirt from your windshield.
Be sure to use a windshield washer fluid formulated for use in the winter when temperatures are low instead of an all-season formula. These fluids contain special additives that prevent them from freezing during the cold winter months, and some contain deicers that can also help melt windshield ice accumulation.
4. Examine and Replace Windshield Wipers Regularly
Keeping your windshield free from dirt and debris that can impair your vision when driving also involves keeping your windshield wiper blades in good condition.
However, road salt can dry out your wiper blades, causing them to crack; blades can freeze against your windshield and then become damaged when you attempt to loosen then; and rubber blade components are more easily damaged when the cold temperatures stiffen them.
Since winter elements can damage your wiper blades so easily, you should examine them every two weeks during the cold season and replace them when you notice visual signs of damage or can tell that they are not removing dirt and water from your windshield as effectively as they once were.
Regularly replacing your windshield wipers not only helps you see clearly while driving, but it also keeps wipers from becoming so severely worn that they begin scratching your windshield.
While a crack- and chip-free windshield that provides a crystal-clear view of the road can help you drive safely during every season of the year, it is especially important during the winter months when roads are covered with hazardous snow and ice.

Follow these winter windshield care tips to prevent winter windshield damage and to help you keep your windshield clean when driving. Contact the auto glass repair and replacement experts at MS Glass Outlet for all of your automobile window repair needs today.
