Your glass shop choice can directly affect your safety

Most people are very concerned about the safety of the vehicle they drive. Typically they will protect themselves through the use of seatbelts, car seats, anti-lock brakes, and air bags. Even though the advantages of these devices are widely publicized, you may be surprised to learn that your windshield is another “safety feature” that is of equal importance. Unfortunately, recent research indicates that 80 percent of those consumers surveyed had no knowledge about proper windshield installation and were unaware that their lives are endangered if the job isn't done right.

The fact is, a properly installed windshield has three life-saving features in the event of an accident: It acts as a backboard for the deployment of air bags; it can keep passengers inside the vehicle in the event of an accident; and it prevents the roof from caving in during a rollover. Fortunately, when it comes to auto glass, being an informed consumer can dramatically reduce your exposure to a life-threatening auto injury.

Even though there are responsible auto glass companies in the U.S. that perform high-quality, safe windshield replacement, there are many that do not. The way current law is, an auto glass replacement company, no matter how large, can claim to be “Certified” (trained) even if just one person in the company has actually received the training. It’s the equivalent of going to a hospital for a surgery where all the doctors on staff claim they are “trained”, but only one of them has actually been to medical school!

If you know what questions to ask in selecting a glass shop and what to look for during the installation, you greatly improve the odds of avoiding an improper installation. The National Glass Association recommends that consumers ask prospective auto glass service providers if they:

• Have NGA certified technicians;
• Endorse the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS);
• Use the manufacturers recommended urethane adhesive;
• Review the "do's and don'ts" of post-installation usage with customers.
  

During the installation, watch to see if the technician:

• Checks for a passenger side airbag and, if present, uses urethane rated for that type of installation;
• Removes the old sealant leaving approximately 1/16" bonding surface;
• Wears gloves to avoid contaminating the bonding surfaces;
• Cleans and primes both the glass and the area on the vehicle (known as the “pinchweld”) where the glass is to be set.
  

It is also recommended that the vehicle owner ask to see the manufacturers' expiration date on all preps, primers and adhesives to be used during the windshield replacement. If any of these materials are passed the expiration date, do not allow the installation to begin until acceptable materials are obtained. If the installation is already in process, it must be stopped and started again from scratch after all bonding surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned.

After the installation is complete, inspect the work carefully. You do not need to be an auto glass expert to identify the "tell-tale" signs of improper installation. From outside the vehicle, check to see if:

• The windshield is perfectly centered on the car. The distance between the left side and the right side of the windshield and the auto body should be the same.
• Inspect the molding to be sure it fits around the circumference of the windshield and there are no visible gaps.
• The molding should be flat and not look like a roller coaster.
• Most importantly, the glass should be flush to the vehicle's body.
  

When shopping for auto glass repair and / or replacement services, consumers need to be highly “quality conscious”. To be done properly, windshield replacement requires the use of the best materials technology can provide and the skills of highly trained, experienced, detail conscious technicians.