Many people take auto glass for granted. Its purpose seems so simple, after all: it lets you look out without wind and rain getting in, just like any other window. However, appearances can be deceptive. In fact, the glass in your windshield is often intended to do far more than function merely as a window. A car is made up of many different components, but they all work together in harmony to produce a single design, and the windshield factors into this in a big way. Not only does the windshield keep you protected from wind and rain, but it also keeps you safe in an accident.

Windshield Safety

Early windshields were installed to keep the wind and bugs out of your face. While this worked, it did not recognize the importance of the structure of the vehicle and the large area that it needs to protect in an accident. Ordinary glass tends to shatter into extremely dangerous shards, and combining it with a high-speed collision is a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, windshields were installed using gaskets (rubber seals)  to hold the glass to the body of the vehicle. No modern glass company sells this sort of windshield any more for precisely this reason. Instead, modern designs are intended to avoid shattering dangerously and now use a urethane (glue) to better hold the glass to the body keeping you safer in a collision or roll-over accident.

Structural Support

It’s hard for many people to imagine a pane of glass being used as a structural member, but this practice is common in everything from skyscrapers to smartphones. Many modern phones have very little strength or stiffness without the glass in the display. Your car is similar. The windshield is expected to provide a significant degree of support for the roof in the case of a roll-over accident.

Repair

It is obvious that auto glass is a really important part of your car. More significantly, it must be in top condition in order to fulfill its intended role. If the glass has been cracked or chipped, it is far more likely to give way at an inopportune moment. It is important to consider that a damaged windshield replacement may result in your car being far safer overall. A good glass company may be able to repair minor damage to your glass, but in more severe cases it is very important to replace the entire pane for maximum safety.