How Dangerous is a Cracked Windshield?

The windshield is a robust safety component of your car, but that doesn’t mean that it is immune to damages. In reality, windshield damages are a common occurrence. Flying rocks to weather elements such as hail to unfortunate accidents all hold the potential of damaging your car’s windshield.

Cracks are one of the most common damages that your car windshield can incur. You might ignore the crack on your windshield, brushing it off as an insignificant cosmetic issue, but a crack is much more than that. Along with being an unsightly blemish that can bring down the visual appearance of your car, a crack is also a huge safety hazard.

Driving around with a Cracked Windshield? Why it’s Not Worth it

A cracked windshield has the full potential to compromise the safety of your car.

Obstruction to Visibility

Windshield cracks sitting directly on your line-of-sight can hinder your driving, especially in low light or in rough weather. Driving when your vision is hindered can increase your risk of getting into a collision or a road pile-up. Moreover, a cracked windshield is also a continuous distraction. Cracks also tend to reflect sunlight, causing a blinding glare. This can put you and the occupants in your car in mortal danger.

Loss of Structural Integrity

A perfectly working windshield glass lends 40% structural strength to the car roof. This is one of the most critical functions that your car windshield performs. But, a crack in the glass can weaken it, making it nearly impossible for the windshield to efficiently perform its life-saving function. As a result, in the event of a rollover, the car’s roof could collapse, causing grave injuries to the passengers.

Fatal Accidents

Your car’s windshield is designed to protect you and the other passengers, especially during accidents. However, a cracked windshield will be unable to tolerate harsh impact in the face of a front-end collision, threatening the life of the vehicle’s occupants. Moreover, if you get caught in an accident and aren't wearing a seatbelt, you run the risk of being ejected out of the car.

Ineffective Deployment of Airbags

Your car’s windshield also helps in the proper deployment of airbags when your car gets into a major collision. The airbags are dependent on the windshield to provide a backstop so that they inflate towards the passengers. But, if the windshield is already cracked, the force of the airbag deployment can shatter it, leading to an airbag deployment malfunction, thus making the occupants vulnerable to fatal injuries.

Shattering Glass

Car windshields are mostly made of laminated glass. Laminated glass is specifically designed to hold the glass pieces together in case of breakage. Meaning, the glass will not shatter into sharp shards, unlike regular glass. But this only holds true for windshields that have no prior damage. If your car windshield has cracks, the glass will shatter in the event of a collision or impact, and the flying glass pieces will cause severe injuries to the passengers. A cracked windshield that shatters on impact cannot offer any protection to the occupants of the car.

The Right Way of Dealing with a Cracked Windshield

Cracks, no matter how small or insignificant they might appear to your naked eye, can compromise your car's structural integrity. A cracked windshield is a direct threat to your life; therefore, it shouldn't be neglected. The correct way to deal with a cracked windshield is to get it checked and replaced by professionals at the earliest. Getting a crack repaired will leave you with a structurally-weak windshield, hence getting it replaced is the ideal solution.

You might come across many DIY solutions and hacks that seem like a tempting option to fix your windshield crack, but they can cause more harm than good. A DIY solution cannot repair a windshield crack. A cracked windshield requires replacement via expert hands in possession of specialised tools. An incorrectly installed windshield can put your life as well as the lives of others in danger. Windshield technicians will ensure that your new windshield is installed correctly and is not unstable. They will also be careful while handling the adhesives during windshield replacement. Windshields professionals will get your windshield replacement done as per industry-best standards and will observe all safety measures. When you opt for professional solutions, you can rest assured that your windshield is in good hands.

Are you looking to get your cracked windshield replaced? Then head to AIS Windshield Experts! As India's largest windshield repair and replacement network and as a subsidiary of Asahi India Glass Limited, we provide 100% genuine, OEM-grade windshields. Our well-trained experts use top-of-the-line equipment and follow international-safety standards while undertaking a windshield replacement. We offer a one-year written warranty on the materials used and our workmanship so that you can breathe a sigh of relief. To know more about our offerings, check out windshield replacement.

You can either drive into one of our 90+ conveniently-located service centres or call us on 1800 102 6364 to get your windshield fixed at your doorstep. We are always ready to take up any windshield challenge that you may throw our way.

Get in touch with us today!