Unfortunately, it’s not a rare thing to find your windshield with a chip or a crack in it that you’re sure wasn’t there the day before. Sometimes we’re aware of when these things happen and other times we didn’t even stand a chance. Suddenly you notice the damage and go in for a closer inspection. One of the biggest annoyances is not being able to do anything about it. But what if you could? Of course, there will always be certain situations that you can’t plan for, but what about those precautions that perhaps you can take to help limit your chances of a damaged windshield. Here are a few preventative measures that we have compiled for you.

The faster you’re driving when a rock or other object hits your windshield, the more damage it’s likely to do, as the impact will be lesser or greater dependent on your speed.

Chips and cracks in your windshield most often occur from an object impacting the glass and resulting in a damaged spot. Often times, this happens due to rocks falling from dump trucks or debris being kicked up by the tires of overtaking vehicles. Try to maintain a good distance away from the car in front of you at when you’re going at faster speeds along the highway and other roads, as the chances of then damaging your windscreen are greatly reduced. A good way to measure a safer distance between you and another vehicle is by trying to stay at least two full car lengths away, whilst on the highway.

Try to park your car in spaces free from potential hazards and not in higher risk areas which could end up possibly doing damage to your vehicle, such as beneath a construction building or a fragile tree branch. Parking beneath any tree’s at all run some risk, especially during Fall.

Much windshield damage is due to being caught out in hailstorms or other natural disasters. For this reason, pay attention to weather reports. If bad weather is expected, avoid driving and if possible, find a secure place to park your car, such as a garage with a roof.

Make sure to regularly refill your windshield washer fluid so that you don’t get caught out using your windshield wipers dry on the glass. Keep your windshield spick and span by thoroughly washing it from time to time with a specifically designed windshield cleaner, rather than with just a regular household glass cleaner. Also, don’t delay in replacing old windshield wipers if they start to get cracks or if you can hear any squeaking or scratching noises while they are in use.

Some chips may be so small that they often go unnoticed. If you don’t happen to see them right away, the chances are they will grow in size and that could potentially cause further damage to the glass. Inspect your windshield from time to time just to make sure that you haven’t missed anything.

At NOVUS Glass, we hope you will find these essential precautions helpful and that you never have to deal with the stress of damaged glass. However, we also know that these things can happen no matter how hard we might try and so we advise that any chip, however small, should be repaired as soon as possible. Acting quickly could be the difference between an inexpensive repair job or a whole new replacement windshield.