5 Unsuspecting Causes of Windshield Damage and How to Avoid Them

Statistics have it that about 30% of automobile insurance claims in America are windshield-related.

A sad truth is that most car owners pay little to no attention to their car windshield until they wake up to a scratch or crack, leaving them in a dilemma whether to claim insurance, repair, or replace it. Whatever the dilemma leads to is certainly not a sweet decision.

The best option is to avoid any harm coming to your front screens until you can't, especially if you know what may cause damage to your windshield.

In this post, you'll discover 5 unsuspecting causes of windshield damage and how to avoid them.

#1. Chips in Summer
Chips in cold weather appear harmless until the temperature rises. If gravel bounces off your windshield, leaving a mark in winter, you shouldn't ignore it.

Allowing it to persist until summer causes expansion due to a temperature rise, then what seemed like a minor poke will turn into larger cracks. At this point, replacement isn't an option; you will need to have your windshield replaced.
A remedy should have been to call for repairs or use windshield chip fillers.

#2. Extreme Weather Conditions
It's common to wake up to hail or other extreme weather conditions like windstorms, major storms, or heavy rain in the US.

At such moments, don't drive. These conditions can propel debris (rock pieces) against your windshield, causing instant damage that may become fatal. In an extreme storm, tree felling is most dreaded because more than a windshield can be squashed.

The sure solution is to stay at home and avoid any of it happening to you.

#3. Flying Gravel
Sometimes you can never be careful enough, and experiencing damage when you're being most careful is terrible.
There you are, in perfect weather, a calm atmosphere, and a smooth tar road enjoying the ride, and then comes a passing vehicle with a flying rock hitting your windscreen.

The worst part is, the driver may not even notice what happened. It's 20% possible. Although 80% of windshield damage is weather-originated, let's leave 20% for unforeseen circumstances.

For minor cracks, get them repaired immediately; for a major hit – sorry, it may need replacement.

#4. Auto Crash
As much as we don't wish for bad things to happen, sometimes you can't be careful enough.

An auto crash is two vehicles colliding, which can happen from any angle. The most common crash is a head-on collision. In this situation, people don't think about the condition of their windshields but rather the safety of the victims – taking out auto insurance or getting a replacement is a small sacrifice, provided lives were preserved.

#5. Theft and Vandalism
Theft and vandalism usually occur when the intruder spots something worth the risk – either the car itself or a valuable item like a gold ring hanging from the rearview mirror.

Both actions call for shattering the car window, either to gain access for car hijacking or to steal the valuables.

The first remedy is not to keep valuables inside your car, and lastly, always park where security is in sight. However, you can't always be careful enough.

Conclusion
A screen chip is the beginning of screen damage, and you have two major solutions to it: either repair the chips or replace the cracks.

In extreme cases like auto crashes, theft, and vandalism, you may need to have car insurance.
​
If that's the case (we hope it isn't), there's always the best insurance company to back you up so that you won't suffer 100% loss.