When it comes to your car, there are a lot of factors that are outside your control. For instance, you can’t possibly prevent a random “bodaboda” from denting your car on the highway. However, if you put some effort in taking care of your car, it will thank you by serving you well for years.
One of the most common car issues that can give you a headache is a cracked windshield. It may start as a small crack and on a fine sunny day, while you are cruising around, you hit a bump and it all crumbles in. If you are lucky, you could lay an insurance claim and have your windshield fixed or it could send you back a couple of thousands to fix it yourself.
However, before it gets to this point, why not take a few preventative measures.
1. Use the less congested roads
Roads that are congested tend to pause a high risk of a cracked windshield. This is because a lot of cars are kicking up a lot of debris and loose pebbles that may most likely end up on your windshield. Therefore if you can avoid such places, do. Save yourself the pain of buying a new windshield every now and again.
2. Keep a safe distance when driving
If you live in a congested city like Nairobi, you may have very few options when it comes to avoiding congested roads. However, you can keep distance between yourself and the car ahead of you, particularly trucks and trailers. Yes, they may have mud flaps that are supposed to protect the car behind them from the debris they kick up but it is not always the case. The fact that the trailers or trucks have more wheels, they have the ability to propel the debris further and possibly give you a cracked windshield.
3. Slow down
Not only is it a traffic offence to be speeding, but it is also quite dangerous as it may lead to an accident. Additionally, driving too fast tends to propel your car forward at an increased speed thus increasing the impact of dislodged debris onto your windshield. This may lead to a crack. Therefore in addition to keeping a safe distance on a busy highway, try and slow down.
4. Avoid gravel
It may sound a little bit obvious but driving on roads that have gravel or roads that may be under construction may cause a windshield crack. Just driving through the gravel especially at a high speed will dislodge the gravel and propel them towards your windshield. If you must drive through such areas, slow down and if you can take a detour the better for you.
5. Park under a shade
Extreme heat can cause a small crack on your windshield to expand. Therefore, if you have a small crack, park in the shade and prevent your windshield for further damage. Additionally, when you constantly park your car under the scorching sun it can also damage your car’s paint over time.
Conclusion
Your car’s windshield is an essential part of your car. It is important that you do all that you can to prevent it from getting damaged. However, do not beat yourself up in the event you get a cracked windshield. You can always visit your mechanic and have him advise you on the next steps.