Prompt Attention Prevents Small Windshield Damage from Growing
A chip or crack can interrupt the driver’s sightline, so prompt response is critical.
A car’s windshield is a significant safety feature, although most drivers don’t think much about their windshield except how clean it is. When considering windshield damage, cracks, dings, and chips are common. They aren’t major problems, maybe just eyesores that can be fixed quickly, but some people do nothing.
However, although cracks, dings, and chips may seem unexceptional, they leave the windshield open to additional damage, which may harm the vehicle’s occupants in an accident. Additionally, chips and dings can quickly turn into cracks, and a crack can lead to trouble with the driver’s ability to see clearly. It can also lead to a windshield replacement if left unchecked.
Cosmetic Appeal
A car owner’s choice to have an immediate repair to their windshield usually comes down to the owner’s sense of cosmetic appeal. A dinged-up windshield can easily be an eyesore, so the owner may have a windshield repair technician fix the damage.
Professional windshield repair
There is no sense in investing in a good car and then allowing windshield damage to build up over time, ruining the car’s appearance. However, repairing damage is best left to professional glass technicians. They have the knowledge to effectively fill any glass damage to ensure the windshield remains sturdy to provide the expected safety to the vehicle’s occupants.
Car Value
Vehicle owners have to consider the car’s value when determining when it makes sense to make repairs. While some may consider the value only when they want to trade the vehicle in, it pays to make repairs as needed continually to ensure the cost of repairs can be spread over time.
Allowing minor windshield damage to accumulate into something bigger and possibly more expensive doesn’t make sense. Often, a vehicle owner’s insurance policy will cover the cost of windshield repair. Should a new windshield be necessary, the insurance plan typically covers some portion of that cost, after the owner pays the deductible. Ultimately, it’s less expensive for the vehicle owner to have glass damage repaired quickly to avoid replacing the glass at a far higher cost.
Safety and prevention of worsening damage
The number one reason to make windshield repairs completed quickly is safety. A chip or crack can interrupt the driver’s sightline, so prompt response is critical. Even if the initial chip or crack doesn’t impair their view, allowing it to sit over time can allow the chip to spread and create a weak spot in the glass. Windshield cracks stretch and elongate as time and weather take hold. They may, at first, seem stable, but weather changes can play havoc on a windshield.
There is no way to predict how a simple chip or crack will react. One thing is for sure: often, they worsen over time. Not only does this damage make a car difficult to drive as it worsens, but it is also quite a distraction to watch as it expands. Another thing worth considering is that the longer a car’s owner waits to repair it, the more expensive it becomes. A seemingly insignificant chip can eventually turn into a windshield replacement.
For any glass damage repair needed, contact a local glass repair and replacement service.
Lucid Auto Glass provides mobile windshield repair and replacement in Tacoma, Olympia, Renton, Lakewood, and surrounding areas. Our auto glass services include windshield replacement, rock chip repair, crack repair, and leak repair as well as door window regulator and door window motor repair and replacement. Family owned and operated. Military discounts available.
