Here at Red Rose Windscreens, we are windscreen repair experts. And one of the questions we are often asked is “how long can I drive with a chipped or cracked windscreen, before it will get worse?” Unfortunately, there is no straight forward, simple answer for that question, as the severity of the crack, the location of the damage, and other external factors will all have a role to play. And if your crack or chip is only small, many factors can cause the chip to spread or get worse. As a result, we have produced this guide to the factors that will effect a chipped windscreen and make the damage worse.
Temperature changes
One of the biggest and most influential factors that will cause a chipped windscreen to become a much more dangerous and expensive problem is the temperature change. And this time of year can be the worst time for such changes. With the beast from the east raging one week, and bright sunshine the next, your windscreen will be feeling the results.
Temperature fluctuations, even those just between night and day, can make your windscreen glass expand and contract. If you have chipped windscreen, this movement can easily cause the chip to turn into a crack. And with prolonged exposure, the crack to spread and grow across your windscreen.
As a result, driving your car in direct sunlight, or parking in a warm spot can have a big influence on the behaviour of your chipped windscreen.
Vibrations
Another big problem that drivers can’t really avoid are the vibrations. Whether it’s just a bumpy road or a number of speed bumps,these vibrations can rattle your windscreen. Movement of the windscreen is a sure fire way to make that chip or crack spread across the windscreen.
For more information or advice, or for windscreen repairs, get in touch with the experts here at Red Rose Windscreens.