Your windshield is one of the most used parts of your car, but you likely do not think about it very much at all, as long as it is in good condition and is doing its job properly. As soon as it becomes damaged or your visibility has been impaired, however, your windshield can suddenly represent a serious safety threat. Fortunately, there are a few simple things that you can do to protect your windshield from physical damage and to maintain your visibility at all times while driving.

Install a Bug Guard

A bug guard is a plastic ridge that is installed on the front of your vehicle's hood. This unique installation acts as a method to deflect insects away from your windshield while driving. While bugs that smash into your windshield are unlikely to cause any sort of serious structural damage to the glass, they can obscure your view and can leave a stain or mess that can impair your visibility while driving, which is a definite safety risk.

Regularly Replace Windshield Wipers

Your windshield wipers play a large role in maintaining your visibility while driving, but they are also the only car component that is in direct contact with the glass of your windshield. For that reason, any sort of damage to the rubber portion of the blade or debris that is stuck under the wiper blade could scratch at your windshield and cause damage to the structural integrity of the glass. You should wipe down your windshield wipers every time you fill up the gas tank to remove rocks or other pieces of hard debris and should replace them at the first sign of the rubber blade beginning to degrade — usually indicated by a loud screeching sound as it passes over the surface of your windshield.

Immediate Patching and Repairs

Finally, the last but yet the most important way to ensure that your windshield stays in good condition for as long as possible is to make sure that you have any scratches, nicks, or other forms of physical damage to the surface of the glass patched immediately. Allowing cracks to remain open and untreated for a long period of time means that dust and dirt can get into the crack, which can make it impossible for that crack to be properly filled. With the crack permanently in the glass, your windshield is much weaker and further damage could occur. Contact an auto glass repair service in your area to learn more.