A cracked windshield might seem like an inconvenience you simply have to put up with. However, cracked windshields are no laughing matter. Discover why you should replace your windshield sooner rather than later.
You Enhance Your Visibility
When driving, you encounter all types of vehicles, weather conditions, and road conditions. To be safe and alert while in the car, you need the best visibility possible. However, a crack that stretches across your windshield can prove a major distraction.
For example, it can impede your view in front of you. If you constantly have to move around to get a decent view of the road, fellow motorists, or potential obstacles, this can prove tiring and potentially dangerous. Additionally, cracks can often enhance glare by pointing sunlight in your face. This can temporarily blind you and potentially lead to accidents or injuries.
Additionally, some cracks might impede windshield wiper movement. If you drive in rainy or snowy conditions, windshield wipers are essential. Cracks that do not allow windshield wipers to do their job can leave your windshield messy and hard to see out of.
So while you might keep putting off replacing a cracked windshield, you leave yourself open to the risk of impaired visibility and all its consequences.
You Follow the Law
In Oregon, you are not allowed to have an obstructed view. While Oregon has no specific laws about windshield cracks, a law enforcement officer might deem a windshield crack dangerous enough to pull a person over. So, if you want to avoid a potential citation and hefty fines, replace your windshield.
You Protect Your Car and Yourself
A cracked windshield is a compromised windshield. While windshields are mainly for visibility, they do provide safety as well. For example, the windshield provides the entire vehicle with structural integrity, which is crucial in an accident. So if a crack weakens the windshield, this could, in turn, weaken your car’s ability to protect you during an accident.
First, the cracked windshield could have an increased chance of cracking open completely. While windshields have film that largely protects you against glass shards, a bad accident can still cause a complete windshield failure. This failure could lead to injuries due to broken glass, nearby debris, or even ejection from the car.
A cracked windshield might also cause the car to collapse, especially in rollover accidents, leading to more injuries and potential fatalities. As the windshield is supposed to hold up the roof, a rollover can increase the pressure on the windshield. A crack weakens the windshield, so a collapse is more common. Also, the car is more at risk of having increased damage. While some accidents may leave you with merely a shattered windshield, a cracked windshield can lead to a car having comprehensive damage all over, with a chance of it being too damaged to repair.
Finally, the windshield is supposed to help with passenger-side airbags, which, in an accident, will come out. As airbags are fast and strong, the windshield takes much of the pressure these airbags enforce. But with a cracked windshield, your chances of it breaking increase. Therefore, it can’t absorb the airbags, which, in turn, can damage any people within the car.
You Can Trust Us
Have you put off replacing your windshield? Don’t wait! MS Glass Outlet can easily and affordably put on a new windshield. We work with all glass brands, provide same-day service, and offer competitive pricing for your convenience. We will be happy to help you understand the process and get back on the road as soon as possible. Contact us today to schedule your windshield replacement appointment.
