Driving a car with a cracked windshield is not a wise thing to do at any time of the year. However, risks associated with it become way more consequential during winter. With the shorter days, decreased visibility, and snow and sleet covering your car’s windshield, a small crack can make the situation go from worse to fatal.
Canada experiences one of the most challenging winters in the world. A crack in your windshield can easily shatter the whole screen causing severe accidents that can leave you injured and stranded on the road. To make sure no such incidents take place, you must repair your windshield before this year’s first snowfall.
Below we discuss some of the most important reasons why you should get your windshield repaired as soon as possible.
Why Is An Upright Windshield Important?
The windshield plays a vital role for your vehicle. It protects the passengers and the driver from environmental elements such as strong winds, rain, hail, and snow. It also protects them from being crushed by chassis, also known as the vehicle frame, during an accident. A solid windshield holds the frame upright, ensuring that no one gets plunged from the vehicle during an unfortunate event.
Furthermore, a windshield provides 30 percent of the vehicle’s structural strength. A crack in it will cause you to lose one-third of your vehicle’s integrity, making your car a lot more vulnerable to winter damage and disastrous accidents.
How Can A Cracked Windshield Make Driving More Dangerous During Winter?
A cracked windshield can make driving detrimental in winter in the following ways:
- A cracked windshield can shatter easily on the slightest impact from a winter storm or bumpy winter road, putting you and the people in your vehicle at risk of getting injured from the glass pieces.
- While driving, you must be able to see the road clearly. Since your visibility is already reduced in winter due to little sunshine and bad weather, a cracked windshield can further obstruct your road vision. This can lead to dangerous and fatal consequences.
- An intact windshield acts as a support for the airbags during an accident. If the screen is chipped or cracked, it won’t support the force exerted by the inflating airbags and may break completely, causing airbags to deploy outwards instead of towards the front seat. In a situation like this, neither your windshield nor your airbags will be able to keep you safe and will instead cause you more harm than good.
Low Temperatures Will Worsen The Crack
Differential expansion is one of the most important reasons why you should look out for your cracked windshield during winter. Differential expansion is a phenomenon where the opposite surfaces of the glass are exposed to two different temperatures, making it both contract and expand simultaneously. If the difference in the forces increase, it can cause the glass to crack or shatter.
We witness this form of expansion on the windshield during winter. The warmer weather inside the car makes the glass expand while its outer surface is exposed to the chilly atmosphere and contracts. Although the windshield is designed to withstand these different stresses on cold days, a small crack or chip in it can cause the forces to shatter the glass entirely or spread the damage. Below freezing temperatures will make your cracked windshield more vulnerable to breaking.
About Action Towing
If your cracked windshield has made it dangerous to drive, call Action Towing for a tow to the nearest repair shop. At Action Towing, we provide professional and affordable towing and roadside services in Edmonton, Alberta. Our reliable and robust tow trucks in Edmonton will help move your car to safety. Visit our website to read more on our professional towing services or contact us for personalized care.
