Windshield glass does a lot more than just protect you from the elements. The windshield in your car protects you from natural and man-made disasters, from hailstorms to rain to wind or accidents of almost any kind. Your windshield is actually one of the most important safety devices on your automobile.
A good windshield does more than just protect you from accidents occurring from the front end, it cushions and helps in optimal deployment of the airbag. Modern windshields are also designed in such a way as to prevent the shards from hurting you fatally when it breaks in an accident. It also helps protect the roof of your car so that it doesn't fall on you in case of an accident. Rest assured, in a fatal accident your windshield is the factor that could decide if you live or not, which is why windshield cracks can be a real threat if you don't get them looked at and fixed immediately.
Before we talk about what to do in the event of a windshield crack, let's look at the quality of your windshield glass itself. Windshield glass is made of laminated glass which goes through many safety measures and heat and pressure treatments. Your windshield glass is not just one glass film, it is in fact two glass films sandwiched together by polyvinyl butyrate, a powerful adhesive. This adhesive is the reason why you windshield glass does shatter into a million pieces on an occasion of a collision. This polyvinyl butyrate glass is different from the other glasses on your car windows that use other treatment techniques to ensure that you don't get hurt by shattering glass in the case of an accident.
So how do you deal with windshield chips, scratches and cracks? While windshield chips and scratches are an everyday occurrence, if you have a chip or scratch that is bothering you and coming in the way of your driving, it is unwise to let it go unchecked. With small scratches some people use white toothpaste to fix it at home. This method does work on very surface level scratches, but any scratch deep enough to catch your fingernail on if you pass it over the scratch is too deep to be repaired by this technique.
Chips usually turn into cracks and these are far more troublesome. If you have a windshield chip you should get it looked at by a professional windshield repair company before it turns into a crack. Typically, chips can be repaired with resin for far less than replacement of a windshield. Once the chip starts to spider web, it's too late, so make sure to get your car in as soon as you notice the chip. Some small windshield cracks can be fixed with an adhesive but there are other cracks such as those that spread across the windshield, come in the way of your driving, and significantly reduce the structural integrity of your windshield that need to be looked at and fixed immediately by a professional. These types of large cracks typically require windshield replacement.
Regardless of the problems you have on your windshield get it diagnosed by an expert before it's too late. Early diagnosis and repair of windshield problems will save you time, money and even your life in the event of an accident!
