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Winter Safety: Effects of Winter on Car Windows
By gguild | December 20, 2007
Many people don’t realize the impact cold winter weather can have on auto glass, especially windshields. Learn what you can do to protect your auto glass from good ol’ Jack Frost and prevent windshield replacement.
The effects of winter affect your car’s windows, too
Winter is tough on the old bones. It’s tough on car windows, too. Not only are the severe temperature variations hard on glass but winter brings extra road hazards, too. There are a number of things you can do, though, to improve winter driving visibility and car window care—some of which could save you from serious accidents.
Winter driving means the road trucks are on duty. As you drive, you need to be aware that these trucks plow snow throwing chunks of ice off the road while the back of the truck slings sand and salt in all directions to reduce slipperiness. Because these trucks place so much material on the road, there is also a really good chance that a pebble picked up by another motorist can strike your windshield. While the trucks are out, stay alert and take precautions to protect your windshield from damage. Slow down as much as possible and try to give the trucks as much lead ahead of you and as wide of a berth as you can to minimize the risk of being hit by flying debris.
Delaying repairs can make things worse.
If you incur some minor damage to your windshield, the worst thing you can do in the wintertime is to put off the repairs. The rapidly changing temperatures place a lot of additional stress on the glass. If there is a crack in the glass due to some minor damage, it will grow rapidly. You may be tempted to put it off “since there are more winter hazards out there waiting for you.” However, putting off repairs may mean you will have a lot more to repair later on because of rapidly growing cracks stressed by those rapidly changing temperatures. Chip repair is a great way to go and can save a lot of money. Remember, though, only chips to the outside layer of the laminated safety class can be successfully repaired. If the damage is directly in the line of sight of the driver, then the windshield probably will have to be replaced.
Hot water to melt ice? Shocking!
Resist the urge to thaw out your windshield with hot (especially boiling) water. To many, that seems obvious, but it is a particularly convenient way of clearing a any ice, including windshield ice in the country where water’s easy to find and a de-icer isn’t. Auto glass is not designed for that type of shock and such drastically rapid temperature change can make it prone to cracking. Also avoid the temptation of scraping your windshield with coins, keys, putty knives, or other metal objects. Metal will scratch the glass and if it is deep enough, there will be no way to buff it out. Plastic scrapers are much less expensive than uninsured windshield replacements. Stick to plastic windshield ice scrapers; they are designed just for that job. Since they are inexpensive you can leave extras in handy places like the trunk or garage.
Rain repellants help with ice and snow, too.
Believe it or not, rain repellants help in freezing weather, too. Rain repellants coat glass causing water droplets to bead up. In the winter, glass treated with rain repellants make it easier to brush off the snow and scrape off the ice. Any auto glass care specialist can apply glass repellant in just a few minutes.
What would you look like driving your car down the road while peeking through a small clear spot in your windshield? Foolish?
When the ice is hard to remove, there is a tendency not to completely clear the windshield. That is extremely unwise (i.e. foolish). Trying to maneuver something as heavy and powerful as an automobile by peeking through a hole in the otherwise obscured windows is reckless. Just take a little more time to warm up and then continue safely. Everyone who has ever had an accident peeking through a small scrape in an icy windshield will say they wish they had never done that. It’s unanimous. Take time. Warm up the windows and take the few extra seconds to clear all the ice and snow from the glass before driving away.
If the worst happens . . .
Finally, if the time comes during the winter where you have to replace a windshield, make sure it is done by an NGA certified technician. Try to get the installation done in a warm place where the adhesives, as well as the glass, can be handled in a controlled, stable environment. In colder weather, adhesives can take a lot longer to cure. Be sure to ask how long it will be before it is safe to drive the car or allow the windshield to be wet.
The hazards of winter are tough enough without the extra ice, snow, stress, and strain on your car’s windshield. Don’t contribute to poor safety by being rushed or careless. Take the time to warm up and scrape off.