Windscreen damage can occur at any time. Emergency windscreen replacement and repairing can be quite expensive and stressful, particularly if you are living anywhere around Perth. However, you can take effective measures to protect them from chips, holes and cracks.
1. Windscreen damage during driving
The most important thing you can do while driving is to always maintain a proper distance between you and the car in front of you. Make sure there are at least three car lengths of space in between you and the other car. That way, if the car’s tires kick up stones or other debris, your windscreen is much less likely to be hit.
Another key strategy is to avoid driving behind vehicles that are carrying construction materials. Vehicles of this type include cement trucks, loaded tractor trailers and semi-trucks hauling gravel. Trucks carrying those kinds of loads will inevitably spray gravel and other small, hard objects behind them.
2. Chips and cracks from parking in the wrong place
Cracks and chips can happen to parked vehicles as well. Consider parking your car under a shelter in order to protect it from falling tree branches and other falling objects. This is especially important if you live in a region that has regular occurrences of hail. A garage is the ideal place to house a parked car, but a car port or any structure with a roof will give the necessary protection.
Another source of damage to parked cars is stones propelled by a lawnmower. There are two basic strategies to counteract this danger. First, check your lawn carefully for stones and remove them before mowing. It can be very difficult to find every stone. For added protection, park your car somewhere far away from the area where you are mowing.
Otherwise, you may be forced to rush to your nearest windscreen replacement specialist to get it replaced or repaired.
3. Regions with extreme changes in temperature
If you live in a region around Perth that has extreme variations in temperature, you will need to take additional precautions. Rapid changes in temperature, in either direction, can make small breaks in a windscreen much worse. Here are some precautions that you should take:
- Ice can be very difficult on a windscreen. When removing ice from your car, make sure never to stab or chop vigorously with your scraper. Doing so can cause cracks in your windscreen.
- It is also best to avoid turning the defroster on the highest setting when starting the car. Instead, gradually increase the heat.
- You must never pour hot water on an ice-covered windscreen. If you do, you risk causing extensive damage.
Additional steps that should be taken
You should establish a regular routine of inspecting your windscreen and car windows for any signs of damage. Check each window thoroughly. Even a small chip can lead to extensive damage if not properly repaired. It can be helpful to tie your windscreen examination to some other recurring event. For example, if you already check your oil every two weeks simply make sure to do the examination at the same time.
If you do find any cracks or breaks in your windscreen, it is important to act quickly. Find a local windscreen replacement specialist in your Perth locality with a good reputation. They can help you by providing any needed windscreen repair. If you deal with any problems in a timely manner, you may be able to avoid the expense of a windscreen replacement. Good windscreen fitters will also be able to help you with a car window replacement if need be.