Tips to Avoid Car Front Glass to Get Cracked in Icy Weather

With the winter season approaching, you may have started stocking up warm woollen clothes, fuzzy mittens, cosy winter boots, and woollen scarves to protect yourself from the cold. In places with icy winters, people may take extra precautions and buy thermals, additional layers of sweaters along with warm overcoats to brace the cold weather. Failure to do so can result in the person catching a cold, fever, frostbites, or other health issues.

And just like humans, a car too needs warmth and care to survive the frigid winters. It needs to be looked after by adding extra layers of protection and doing additional maintenance to make sure that the car stays in top condition throughout the winter season. And while you may take care of all the internal equipment such as the engines and batteries, you may tend to forget an essential part of your car - the windshield.

Although it may not seem like it, the windshield is a vital component of your car that offers unparalleled protection and security to the passengers in the vehicle. Hence, it requires to be taken care of to increase its life expectancy. One of the significant problems that occur due to neglect is cracking and chipping of a car windshield in the icy weather. Here, we shall discuss why a windshield cracks, the importance of a sturdy windshield and share specific tips to avoid the car glass from getting damaged due to the cold.

Risks of Driving a Car with a Cracked Windshield in Winters

Before we share helpful tips to protect your car from cracks in the winter season, one must know the importance of a windshield. The reason for this is that several people do not take a cracked windshield seriously, which, in reality, is a considerable safety hazard. Heavy snow and slippery ice roads are already present to impair your vision, but a cracked windshield distorts your line of sight further. Reports reveal that a genuine OEM windshield maintains 60% of a car’s structural strength in rollover accidents and 45% in case of a head-on collision. However, a cracked windshield cannot sustain such substantial damage resulting in the car to flatten out and fatally harm the passengers. That is why it is always advisable to take necessary measures to prevent windshield cracks and get it replaced before the winter season for the safety of you and your passengers.

Reasons for Windshield Cracks in Icy Winters

It is equally important to understand why a windshield cracks in cold weather in the first place. A standard car windshield is made up of three layers – Two sheets of glass sandwiched together using a special interlayer of Poly Vinyl Butyral (PVB). The PVB interlayer bonds the two sheets of glass and prevents them from being shattered in case of breakage.

However, the molecular structure of a car windshield is equivalent to that of an ice cube. If left unattended, even a tiny nick in the glass can quickly start snowballing and turn into a full-fledged crack. Moreover, in winters, the cold can cause the sturdiest windshields to contract and become extremely fragile, making the cracking process even easier. A cracked windshield becomes susceptible to spontaneous shattering due to pressure build-up, thus making the car more prone to accidents.

Tips to Protect Car Front Glass in Winters

Now that you know the reason and dangers of a cracked windshield, you will always be cautious of protecting it. However, these additional measures can further prevent any damage during the icy cold season.

Regulate the Temperature

When a car windshield is subjected to cold, it contracts and becomes slightly curved. In places with extreme cold, however, the glass can get over-bent beyond its will, causing it to shatter. That’s why it is always suggested to shield the car with a protective cover when not in use to keep it warm in the winters.

Get the Windshield Checked

Using a heater or defroster in the car while driving can cause the glass to face weather extremities from both sides. The outer layer is subjected to cold whereas the inner sheet of the glass receives heat. These factors can increase the internal stresses, the intensity of the curve and ultimately, break the windshield. Hence, it is always recommended to get the car windshield checked and repaired for internal damage.

At AIS Windshield Experts, we follow a ‘Repair First’ policy. This measure ensures a quick repair over a lengthy replacement process to avoid wasting any time and resources. Moreover, we only use high-quality AIS glass and genuine OEM-specified parts to guarantee a safe driving experience.

Drive Slowly

Accompanied by snow pelts, snowstorms are a common occurrence in places with extreme cold.  Similar to rocks and under the force of gravity, they can easily dent the car windshield and result in accidents. In such situations, you must always stop the car until it passes or at the least, drive slowly to avoid the snow pelts from striking your glass with force.

Looking for car experts for a quick windshield check? Contact AIS Windshield Experts - India’s leading windshield repair and replacement network. We offer doorstep facilities and trained technicians for hassle-free services to our clients. Whether it’s windshield check, repair, or replacement, our experts can handle it all! Get in touch today.