Winter, springs, summer, or fall, driving in Colorado Springs means a cracked windshield is inevitable. Sand and pebbles from winterizing roads during the cold months and potential hail storms during the summer make your windshield susceptible to an incident that means you may need to replace your auto glass.
No matter what causes a crack in a windshield, a broken windshield can be hazardous making your vehicle unsafe to drive.
Should I Drive With A Broken Windshield?
“Can you drive a car with a cracked or chipped windshield?”, is a typical question we get asked frequently. The answer to that is yes, but the proper question is, “Should I drive with a cracked windshield, or is it safe to do so?”.
A small crack will typically not make a car inoperable and is usually safe to drive, but a broken windshield or another area of chipped glass should either be repaired or if, in poor condition, the windshield needs to be replaced for a couple of reasons…
- A cracked windshield can be unstable and provide poorer protection
- Chips can reduce and limit visibly. Something that is very important for safe driving.
- Chips and cracks spread and get bigger over time
A windshield is an engineered marvel of modern technology. They are specifically designed to adhere to strict safety standards. There are two layers of glass that are laminated together which form the entirety of the windshield. If a layer is compromised by a rock chip or crash, the internal layer will hold together the integrity of the windshield so it does not hurt passengers or the driver of a car during an accident or shattering all over the road.
Windshield Chip Safety
Like a helmet or car seat, once an incident occurs the safeness of the product diminishes and should be repaired or replaced. The smallest of cracks can even reduce the integrity of a windshield, compromising its safety.
Cracks create weak spots in a windshield. With the constant changes in temperature from the outside of the car fighting against the car’s internal climate control, these swings in temperature cause the glass of your windshield to expand and contract. Combine this with the constant force of wind pressure at speed, and it becomes a recipe for a total failure of your windshield.
Windshield Replacement Will Be Necessary
If your windshield does shatter, obviously it will need replacing. Luckily, windshields can put up with lots of abuse and won’t shatter due to their adhesive layers that hold glass tight in case of just this.
If you do need a windshield replacement, Steadfast Auto Glass can help. Even if you are not sure if the windshield needs a fix or a complete replacement, let us know. As a mobile windshield replacement company in Colorado Springs, we can come to your home or office and assess the situation.
My boss told me that his windshield has a couple of small cracks on them for some reason. What you said about how these small chips and cracks could end up getting worse if left unattended is very alarming. I should recommend that he get them fixed before it becomes a risk for accidents.