Windshields often develop chips; this type of minor damage can occur if loose gravel from the road hits the glass, or if a bird flies into the windshield. Whilst a small chip might seem fairly harmless, it is important to have it repaired promptly. Read on to find out why.

To prevent visibility problems when you're driving

If you've ever had to drive in heavy rain with broken windshield wipers, you will understand just how dangerous and frightening it can be to have to operate a vehicle when you can't see the road in front of you through your windshield. Poor visibility can affect your capacity to drive safely and could potentially lead to you being involved in a serious collision with another road user.

It might surprise you to learn that a seemingly tiny chip in your windshield could affect your visibility when you're behind the wheel. This is because chips (however small they might seem) can affect the structural integrity of the glass and cause it to weaken. This, in turn, can significantly increase the chances of a major crack developing whilst you're driving.

If for instance, a rock on the road becomes airborne and hits your chipped windshield, a large crack could easily appear and result in you being unable to see anything in front of you.

As such, for both your own sake and for the safety of other road users, it is crucial to have your local auto glass repair specialist fix any chips in your windshield as soon as you notice them.

To save yourself time and money

A lot of car owners put off repairing chips in their windshields, simply because they don't want to endure the expense and inconvenience of having to bring their vehicle to the repair specialist and pay for them to fix this issue. In reality, putting off this task could actually cost you a lot more money in the long run.

Fixing one or two small chips in a windshield is not a lengthy process; in many cases, the repair work can be completed in less than an hour. It is also very affordable.

If you choose to postpone this simple repair job, you could find yourself having to spend hundreds of dollars on a brand new windshield. This is because, as explained above, chipped glass is weak and therefore far more likely to develop enormous, potentially irreparable cracks. Replacing the entire windshield could take several days (if not weeks, depending on how busy the auto glass specialist happens to be). As such, in this situation, you may also end up having to pay for a rental car whilst the glass on your own vehicle is being replaced.