Cracked or chipped windscreens can be a safety issue beyond that of obscuring a drivers' vision and should be repaired or replaced at the earliest opportunity.

A windscreen, or windshield as it is also known, does more than shield the drivers face from the wind. It also protects the occupants inside the vehicle from all manner of debris, including rain, insects, dust, road debris and so on. Furthermore, the windscreen of a vehicle plays an important role in the overall structural integrity of the vehicle.

Windshields are made of toughened glass to maintain their strength and shape while under force from the air pressure directed against them when a vehicle is in motion. In the event of a collision the windscreen is designed to fracture rather than break or shatter, to avoid showering the occupants of the vehicle with possibly lethal projectiles of glass.

Cracked windscreens cannot be relied on to behave in this manner during a crash as the structural integrity of the windshield may have been compromised. Even a badly chipped windshield cannot be expected to behave in this manner as the glass may have tiny (but extensive) fracture lines that are not immediately apparent to the naked eye but are sufficient to weaken the structure.

When there is a small chip in the glass caused by a rock or other debris, it can be quickly fixed by our mechanics. A special resin will be applied to the crack and then set with ultraviolet light. The chip may look like it was never there in less than half an hour.

Larger cracks can sometimes be filled, or the windscreen will need to be replaced, depending on the length of the crack. Replacement requires the glass to be removed and new glass to be properly put in with primer and sealed with heavy duty adhesive. The process of installing and setting a new windscreen can generally take around an hour.

Needless to say, the safety implications of a cracked or broken windscreen are multiplied considerably if you undertake driving at higher speeds, such as on highways or country roads, or when taking a 4WD off-road for a bit of sport. One decent jolt could render the windshield effectively unusable or even unsafe.

A small chip can turn into a larger, dangerous crack because of some of the following issues:

• Pressure which can turn chips into a full blown crack.
• Uneven driving conditions can cause the windscreen to be shaken out of place and cause a chip to turn into a crack.
• During the winter the crack in the windscreen may be more likely to get larger and horizontal cracks may spread.
• In the summer months the higher temperatures may turn chips into vertical cracks.

West End Service Centre have the skills and experience to replace your windshield. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a cracked or broken windshield in the West End area, we can have you safely back on the road in a matter of hours