Windshields are important for helping you see the road while driving and protecting you against the elements. Windshields are durable, but they're subject to damage from stones and other hard objects that commonly strike your vehicle while driving. According to KRON4, an online news source, U.S. motorists replace about 14 million windshields each year by taking their vehicles to cracked windshield auto glass companies. If you have a cracked or chipped windshield, here’s why it’s a potentially dangerous mistake not to replace it.

Vision Impairment

Something as seemingly harmless as a crack in your windshield might be enough to partially block or distract your vision while driving. A chip can be even more distracting and obstruct your view, which might cause an accident. Quality cracked windshield auto glass companies can replace damaged windshields quickly and affordably to restore your full vision so you can drive safely.

Weakened Windshields

You might have a small chip or crack that's out of the way. However, chips can form cracks that grow larger, and small cracks often become big. The cracks might create spiral or web-like patterns that obscure your vision while driving. They also greatly weaken your windshield and reduce the structural strength of your vehicle’s passenger cabin, which might prove deadly in a rollover accident.

Fogging and Frost

A cracked or chipped windshield might be partially deformed and cause water streaks while using the windshield wipers. Those streaks could make it hard to see the road and blind you if an oncoming vehicle has bright lights at night. A crack or chip also might enable frost to collect inside the windshield, which you’d need to scrape off or wait for the defroster to remove. In warmer weather, the windshield might fog up and let moisture inside the passenger cabin.

Law Requirements

Depending on the depth of a chip or the length and location of a crack in a windshield, the law might require its replacement. Such laws exist to protect passengers against the dangers already cited when driving with a cracked or chipped windshield. The cost charged to replace a damaged windshield by cracked windshield auto glass companies is much less than the cost to treat injuries or replace your vehicle if an accident occurs.

Now that you're aware of just how important it is to replace your windshield at the right time, you may be wondering where to look for cracked windshield auto glass companies. We've got you covered! Call the experts at Citywide Glass today to get started with a free estimate!