Safety

Safe windshield installation makes a big difference

Did you know the windshield of your automobile is a safety device, like air bags and seat belts? It’s true. Your car’s windshield can help save your life, and the lives of your passengers, by making sure you are not thrown from the vehicle in a collision.

Windshields also play a critical role in front passenger airbag deployment on many cars. And, the windshield and rear window help support the roof of the vehicle in a rollover, so you and your passengers will not be crushed.

However, if the factory-installed windshield has been replaced and the work was not done properly, it could lead to problems, especially if the windshield is not properly bonded and it releases from the body of the car during an accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 30 percent of the 40,000 Americans killed in highway fatalities every year — some 12,000 people — die after either being ejected from the vehicle or critically injured during rollovers.

Every replacement performed by Virginia Glass utilizes the Essex Betaseal™ Express one-hour cure urethane adhesive system. These adhesives are rated to pass all federal safety standards after one hour of application, at temperatures as low as 20 degrees.

At Virginia Glass, we inform all customers in writing, as well as verbally, of the safe drive-away time for their vehicle. Vehicles repaired in one of our shop locations will not be allowed to leave until they are safe to drive.

Virginia Glass has the most conscientious safety policy in the market today.

In a collision, the windshield acts as a backstop to support the passenger side air bag when it deploys. If the windshield pops out, the air bag doesn’t have anything to deflect against, and is not effective in protecting your passenger.

The windshield should help keep unrestrained passengers inside the vehicle in the event of a crash. You are 25 times more likely to survive a crash if you are contained inside the passenger compartment.

Your windshield should also provide strength in the event of a rollover accident, keeping the roof from crushing in. In some cars, the windshield provides up to 50% of the vehicle’s rollover strength.