The windshield is an essential part of any automobile whether your car is brand new or an old one. For this reason, it is absolutely essential to get your windshield replaced as soon as it develops a fault to avoid going against the Windshield Repair Regulations existing in your locality.
This not only ensures that the vehicle is in order but also see to it that your safety as the driver and that of the people inside the vehicle is assured.
Advent of Windshield repair regulations
Although majorities of car manufacturing industries make use of safety glass to produce windshield to guarantee more safety, there is no windshield repair regulations guiding the choice and the quality of glasses used.
The first of the Windshield Repair Regulations in the US was initiated in the year 1963. This was when a lawyer, Ralph Nader and consumer advocate released a book he named “Unsafe at Any Speed”.
Although his book was not directed specifically to the auto windshields, it made people become more aware and more conscious of the fact that a lot of producers of automobiles make use of designs that compromised on safety and concentrated more on the fashion aspect of it, the visual appeal and the comfort.
The analysis and research of this lawyer led to the formation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1970 by the US government. The NHTSA formulated laws that stipulated the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Windshield standards
In addition to the other Windshield Repair Regulations by this institution, there is also Windshield Repair Regulations guiding auto windshields standards.
These included the standards that guided how sturdy the glass used for windshield should be. The law also requires the glass to be strong enough to house the occupants of a motor vehicle during accidents.
It stipulates special standards that must be followed for installation of the windshield to ensure that it retains a high level of vigor especially during any form of accident.
Currently, there are a lot of auto glass safety companies that specialize in providing companies that deals with vehicle information that ensures that they stick to windshield Replacement Regulations. They also exist to let individual car owners know why it is essential to get your windshield replaced to ensure their safety.
Auto glass installers, thus, are required to be registered with the Independent Glass Association (IGA) to get extra training and certificate to prove their proficiency in auto glass installation.
Such professionals are also trained in the auto windshield regulations update to ensure they keep abreast with the recent happenings in auto glass safe industry and technology.
A different organization known as the Auto Glass Safety Council was formulated in the later part of 1990’s. Auto Glass Safety Council converged together the producers of windshield and automobiles, companies that produce adhesives and dealers who specialized in auto glass retailing business to be particularly centered on consumer safety and to make use of a technology that ensures that the standard is maintained.
The Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard known as (AGRSS) was formulated in 1999 to guide windshield usage and replacement. A good number of glass shops and installation companies who are concerned about the safety of consumers willingly get licensed by AGRSS.
Today, any auto glass professional or shop that deals in auto glass are expected to get certified by the AGRSS to ensure the safety of the consumers.
Six important areas in auto glass safety
The most updated windshield repair regulations take care of six important areas of auto glass that are essential in auto glass safety. These are:
- Systematic assessment of the vehicle condition which includes the vehicle frame, the way the glass is bonded to the frame, and the condition of the glass itself.
- A Suitable choice of glass material and adhesives to ensure firm installation of the glass of the automobile within the frame of the car.
- Standards that must be followed for the auto glass to be bonded with adhesives
- Standards to be followed for auto glass that is fixed with rubber gaskets, in addition to other conditions necessary for the installation of auto glass in the automobile.
- Sporadic ongoing education which must be acquired by auto glass installers, shops that deal in auto glass and auto glass technicians.
- Regulations that stipulates the way auto glass technicians, Auto glass shops, and installers must interact with auto glass consumers
There are many other organizations that take care of consumer safety and auto glass-specialized training like the International Automotive Glass Federation or National Windshield Repair Association.
Whenever you are looking for a place to do windshield repair or replacement, you are better off hiring the services of company that has installers and technicians who are licensed and who could show evidence of obtaining further education on auto glass installation.
If the damage to your windshield is minor, you may consider an auto glass repair but when the damage is grave, you may consider auto glass replacement.
Windshield crack is like a flat tire, it needs immediate attention.