Summer has finally arrived yet snow still falls on New York streets. When the cold weather hits, the heaters come on in your house to keep you warm. Your car needs just as much preparation. Many people have a routine that they follow for the cold weather such as changing liquids in the car, getting snow tires, or taking out their snow removal brush. What some people forget about, is the protection of their windshield.
Repair Your WindshieldI have witnessed a lot of people driving around with a chipped or cracked windshield all year round. This becomes very dangerous no matter what the weather is like. The best option would be to fix it as soon as possible. Driving around with a chipped windshield is very risky, especially during the winter. Due to daylight savings time during the winter, commute during the dark increases and becomes more dangerous for your windshield especially if it’s snowing or hailing. If the chip or crack in the windshield is still small, it is best to get it fixed right away. If it gets any larger, you might have to replace the whole windshield and that would be more expensive. Until you get it fixed, try putting some sturdy clear tape on the crack or chip to minimize the chance of it spreading. Make sure the tape is clear because you do not want to obscure your vision of the road. Sudden changes of temperature may also increase the chances of the chip or crack increasing in size. Make sure to gradually defrost your windshield if it is covered with snow or ice.Prevent DamageYou might not have any chips or cracks, but it is important to help prevent it from happening. Using hard or sharp objects to remove snow or ice may cause damages. If you are using a scrapper for the hard to melt ice, make sure it is made of hard plastic, even though metal sounds like it will do a better and faster job. A metal scraper will eventually damage your windshield and scratch it. Never use hot water to defrost your windshield quickly. Sudden change of temperature may cause damage to your windshield. Also, hot water freezes faster than cold water so instead of defrosting quickly, it’ll just slow it down a lot more. Whether it’s winter or summer, if your wiper blades are damaged, do not hesitate to get them replaced. If they end up falling apart and the metal and/or plastic parts are showing, turning on the wipers will scratch your windshield. |
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