Your windshield keeps you in the car
The safest place to be during a collision is in the vehicle. Your windshield is one of the important safety systems that keeps you inside the car in the event of an accident. If you don't repair or replace a cracked windshield it may fail during a crash or roll over, causing you or your passenger to be ejected. A passenger ejected from a car or truck is much more likely to experience serious injury or death.
A small crack but a big problem
Laminated safety glass used to make windshields creates an energy absorbing cushion. Cracked windshields expose the laminate that joins the layers of glass in the windshield, causing delamination. This results in a dangerous reduction of the windshield’s structural integrity and therefore your vehicle’s safety. |
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Even airbags need secure glass
In most vehicles passenger side airbags deploy upward, at speeds of up to 200mph, and bounce off the glass. A cracked windshield lacks the structural integrity necessary to absorb this force. Passengers may be ejected from the vehicle and seriously injured or killed if the airbag deploys improperly because of a damaged windshield. In addition, an improperly installed windshield can subject a vehicle’s occupants to this same risk.
Rollover support
Windshields are designed to prevent the roof from crushing you in a rollover accident. Industry experts have estimated that windshields provide up to 70 percent of the structural integrity when a car flips over. A cracked windshield
may fail to support the roof and
ultimately to protect the occupants. |
