Why Replacing Your Windshield is Important
Have you just taken some damage to your windshield that makes you think about replacing it? Before you do that, you might want to think about your windshield replacement options carefully. Some studies have found that around 10,000 rollover-related deaths occur in the US each year, and that nearly all of them were accounted for by faulty windshields. If your windshield’s installation is faulty, you be tempting fate by just going on the roads.
The windshield is so important to automobile safety because it is needed for the automobile to retain its structural integrity during rollovers. Without a windshield, a rollover would almost always result in a collapse of the car’s roof, leading to worse casualties for the people inside the vehicle. A badly installed windshield is nearly the same as having no windshield at all in such dire situations because the windshield shall be more likely to fall out or come out of its setting, leading to the roof’s collapse or to the ejection of the passengers through the space created. The latter is another of the leading causes of death and grave injury during highway accidents, as the chance of fatality goes statistically higher when a passenger is no longer in the vehicle during a road accident.
Scottsdale Windshield Replacement
Windshield Replacement and Vehicle Safety
The older kinds of vehicles actually had better structural support for the roof than the vehicles we have today, this being because they used very heavy frames made out of strong steel. However, cars are no longer made of such weighty materials, the switch having been made to alloy metals. While this has brought a host of advantages to it, it has also led to weaker roof support. To make up for it, the new windshield designs were drawn up specifically for the purpose of using the windshield as part of the roof’s support system, leading to the windshields we have now.
When you go to get your windshield replacement, be sure that the company you are using is known for its safety record and is willing to answer all queries you might have. You should ask if the specialist shall be removing the old urethane adhesive (the glue that attaches the windshield to the rest of the car’s frame) before applying the new one, since doing this shall ensure that your windshield is properly bonded to your car. Look for a windshield replacement specialist that specifies urethane as the adhesive being used, since there are some who try to skimp on the installation costs by using the much weaker butyl tape instead. Also ask how long it shall take before you may drive the car again, since a windshield replacement expert worth his salt should be able to tell you the correct time off the bat for their specific urethane blend to dry and set properly.
