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Why Your Windshield Is An Important Safety Feature of Your Vehicle

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 40,000 Americans are involved in fatal car accidents every year and more than 5 million Americans are involved in accidents that result in injuries on highway collisions. 30% of fatal car accidents occur with the driver or passenger being ejected from the vehicle. How can you, as a car owner, keep yourself and your passengers safe?

When we think of the safety features of a vehicle, we often think of the things like seat belts and airbags. Did you know that your vehicle’s windshield is also a safety feature? You may think that a damaged windshield is merely an inconvenience, but not repairing it right away can have disastrous consequences.

Why your windshield is an important safety feature:

  • Together with seat belts and air bags, your windshield is also part of the vehicle’s safety restraint system (SRS). The SRS is designed to keep driver and passengers within the relative safety of the passenger compartment during accidents.
  • The strength of your windshield can protect the integrity of your vehicle during a collision. Up to one-third of your car’s roof strength can be attributed to your windshield. If the strength of your windshield is compromised, it can diminish support of the roof and collapse and crush passengers during a rollover.
  • Your windshield also protects the structural integrity of the front-end of your vehicle. In front-end collisions, your windshield can provide up to 45% of structural support, and up to 60% in a rollover. Your windshield is also important during front-end accidents because the passenger-side air bag bounces off of the windshield when it is deployed. The force of a deployed air bag can force a damaged windshield out of its frame!

You may not have realized it but your windshield has been integral in keeping you and your passengers safe!

So, how can you preserve the safety features of your windshield?

Be aware of any damage to your windshield, however small it may be. A small chip can easily turn into a big crack due to friction, hot or cold temperatures or any other situations that aggravate the damage. Our advice: don’t wait until your car needs a full windshield replacement! If you have a damaged windshield, if possible, we recommend saving the original factory-installed windshield to ensure the structural system of your vehicle remains strong.

In the event that your windshield is too damaged to save and needs replacement, proper installment of a replacement windshield is very important. An improperly installed windshield could cause failure of the air bags to deploy or serious injuries if occupants are ejected from the vehicle and onto the road.

Here at NOVUS, as the inventor of windshield repair and an industry leader for over 40 years, we know how best to deal with damaged windshields. Whether you need a repair or replacement, our well-trained technicians are here to offer you the best advice and services to meet your needs. For more information, please visit our workshop or call us at (800) 378-7061.

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2 COMMENTS

  • Joy Butler
    August 7, 2018, 1:23 am REPLY

    I’m grateful for your advice that we should take action on the damage of our windshield, no matter how small or big it is. When my mom visited us last weekend, she noticed that there’s a small crack in the windshield. It looked like a very tiny chip that is why we failed to notice it. We’ll surely be talking to a professional service repair provider next weekend.

  • Tyler Johnson
    August 13, 2019, 4:36 pm REPLY

    That’s interesting that a lot of your car’s roof is held up by the windshield. I would have thought that it would have been supported by other parts of the car. I’ll have to consider getting my windshield replaced so that it could help keep me safe if I get in a crash.

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