Dangers of Driving with a Cracked Windscreen

No vehicles are immune from windscreen cracks, and they can occur at any time and in varying degrees of severity. If and when they do happen to your vehicle, it is important that you take action as quickly as possible to avoid further damage and risk to you and other road users. There are a number of dangers associated with driving with a cracked windscreen, and this article will look into what they are and how you can rectify them.

Ejection from vehicle

In order to ensure maximum safety in the event of a collision, all persons inside a vehicle should be wearing a seatbelt. However, the windscreen also serves as a barrier to stop you being ejected from the vehicle if you are not wearing a seatbelt or your seatbelt fails. If your windscreen is cracked, then it is fundamentally weaker than it should be, and this means it may not be able to withstand the force of a person being thrown against it.

Impaired vision

Although windscreen cracks are not necessarily large on their own, they can spread and become a serious obstruction to your view out of the windscreen. It goes without saying that this can make driving very difficult, which in turn puts the safety of you, your passengers, other road users and pedestrians at risk.

Airbag issues

It may seem strange that the windscreen has anything to do with the functionality of airbags, but it actually plays an important role. For passenger airbags, the windscreen is used as a springboard of sorts, helping the airbag push towards the passenger. If the windscreen is cracked, then it is structurally weaker and it may not be able to provide the necessary foundation for the airbag, which could affect its deployment.

Weaken structural support

Windscreens provide vital support for the chassis and frame of the vehicle, and if this is compromised it could be dangerous for those inside the vehicle. If your vehicle rolls over, a weakened, cracked windscreen could shatter, which could cause the roof to collapse, which could cause serious injury or even death for you and your passengers.

Less impact absorption

When a collision occurs, the windscreen acts as a method of impact dissipation, sending impact down to the chassis. If the windscreen is cracked, this benefit is lost and the glass is likely to shatter, which not only lessens the dissipation but also provides an added risk of injury from glass shards.

It is important that you ensure that your windscreen is in the best possible condition at all times. If you notice a crack in your windscreen, it is important that you seek professional assistance to rectify the issue before it worsens.

A1 Windscreens provide expert windscreen repairs and replacement for vehicles of all types. If you would like to know more, please feel free to get in touch with us today and we will be more than happy to help.