Think about a champagne flute. The glass it is made from is so fine and dainty. Now, think about the front window of a store. That glass is incredibly thick and durable in order to resist wind and weather. It's amazing how different these two types of glass are.
Do you know what else is amazing? The fact that glass has been made in the United States since the Colonial era. That's right — there was a glass factory in the colony of Jamestown in the 1600s! We won't claim to be as awesome as these early glass artisans, but we are good at supplying you with information about glass. You can find that information here, on this blog.
Whether you had a rock fly at your car while you were driving on the freeway or have had a crack in your windshield for some time and now it's spreading, you need to know when auto glass repair is immediately necessary. Sometimes you can keep driving until you get your auto glass repair done. Other times you cannot drive your vehicle at all until these repairs have been made.
Ideally, you want to get auto glass repair done as soon as you know you have a problem. This is the best way to keep your car operating safely and to ensure you don't get pulled over for a bad windshield. However, you may not be able to get your car into the auto glass shop until you get paid or can be scheduled for an appointment. Here are signs you shouldn't drive your car until you have had your auto glass repair needs met.
Your auto glass damage impacts your line of vision
Can you not see through your windshield because a crack or chip gets into your line of vision? Are you having to look up and over the crack or duck into your seat to keep your view clear? Do the sun's rays make the crack or chip even more visible by sending light fragments all over? You should not be driving your car if the glass is hard to see out of. Not only is this potentially dangerous, but potentially illegal and can lead to you getting a ticket as well.
Your auto glass damage is enough to cause the glass to shatter
The more severely impacted an auto glass window is, the more the glass can be likely to shatter. If your windshield is already chipping along its edges or if parts of it have already shattered and the only reason it's intact is because of the windshield frame, then you should not be driving your car anywhere but to an auto glass repair specialist. This auto glass repair technician will replace your affected auto glass so you can safely drive again.
Damaged auto glass is not limited to your windshield. If your side mirrors, back windows, or the door windows in your car are severely damaged, they can shatter while you're driving and cause even more damage to your vehicle or cause you harm. Your auto glass technician can make repairs as needed and replace the glass that is too broken to fix.