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Auto Club Says Motorists Who Drive With Cracked or Damaged Windshields May Be Placing Themselves in Harm's Way
Auto Club Encourages Motorists With Damaged Windshields to Seek Advice of Auto Glass Technician
| Source: Auto Club of Southern California
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 22, 2007 -- When consumers commonly think of safety
features in a new vehicle or truck, safety belts, air bags, and anti-lock
brakes may quickly come to mind. However, a relatively unknown fact is that
a vehicle's windshield also plays a pivotal role in overall automobile
safety.
Windshields not only support the roof of your vehicle, says AAA, they also
protect motorists from being ejected during head-on collisions, help the
passenger compartment from being crushed in roll-overs and to keep
passengers inside the car during vehicle crashes when combined with use of
a safety belt.
"Driving with a damaged or cracked windshield can hinder a motorist's
visibility and also compromise the structural integrity of the automobile
during a roll-over incident," said Program Development Manager of the Auto
Club's Approved Auto Repair Program Dave Skaien. "Properly installed
windshields stay in place for passenger side airbags to function properly
in a crash as well," he added.
Reports by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest over
40,000 Americans are killed and more than 5 million injured every year in
highway crashes. Thirty percent of the passenger vehicle occupant
fatalities stem from an occupant being ejected or injured in a roll-over.
"This suggests windshield integrity may be a crucial factor in crash
survivability," Skaien said.
The Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club receives approximately
400 calls a month from its insureds seeking repair or replacement of
damaged windshields on vehicles.
The Auto Club is encouraging all motorists with cracked or damaged
windshields to immediately seek the advice of an auto glass technician that
is certified by the National Glass Association (NGA) or similar
certification organization.
"Auto glass is supposed to meet federal safety standards and is imperative
for airbags to function properly," said Senior Vice President Bob Scharaga
of All Star Glass, one of the Auto Club's Show Your Card & Save®
participating businesses with 250 mobile glass service trucks and
recognized by The Automotive Replacement Safety Standards Council (AGRSS).
"Raising consumer awareness of glass as a structural element in today's
modern automobiles is extremely important. Many people just don't realize
that their car's windshield contributes to the vehicle's structural
integrity by supporting the roof during a roll-over."
The National Glass Association is a trade association of auto glass
professionals that provides technicians with certification criteria that
meets the industry standards on windshield replacement and installation.
Visit www.glass.org or www.myautoglass.org and enter your zip code in the
certified technician locator service.
Additional information on windshield safety and proper installation can be
found on the Coalition for Auto Glass Safety and Public Awareness (CASPA)
web site at www.myautoglass.org
Auto Club members receive a 10% discount on parts and labor from All Star
Glass. All Star Glass installers are recognized by AGRSS and EFTEC, a
urethane adhesive supplier. All Star also undergoes internal training and
factory training from several auto manufacturers. More information about
All Star Glass can be found at www.allstarglass.net or by calling
1-800-215-8261.