How to Protect Your Vehicle from Stone Chips Damage
As an owner of a vehicle, you will have made big investments in the vehicle and its insurance. Some of these include engine checks, new tires, and oil changes. Most drivers will practice safe driving techniques. Yet, one cannot avoid every obstacle on the road. Cracks and chips impacting the windscreen cannot be avoided, but there are methods to reduce damage and prevent it.
Your number one concern is to protect the vehicle and its passengers. Not only are rock chips ugly to look at, but they can also lead to more costly issues in the future. Consider the following tips to protect the vehicle on the road for preventing damage to the windscreen from flying debris:
Take care on the road
It is wise to indulge in defensive driving to prevent damage by rock chips and cracks. Behaviour of the vehicle driver on the road can help much to prevent rock chip damage and avoid stone chip repairs.
Firstly, avoid driving behind bigger trucks and other large vehicles with two sets of tires in the rear wheel. Such vehicles are likely to kick up rocks. Even when you are driving behind standard-sized vehicles, maintain a safe distance.
Generally, a distance of two vehicles must be kept from the vehicle in front, especially on highways. It is also critical that you adhere to the speed limit. The faster the vehicle is being driven; the greater will be the damage caused by flying debris. By driving slowly, it can also be judged where the rocks are coming from before they hit the vehicle.
Also, avoid driving in stormy and rainy weather. The latter raises the potential for flying debris like rocks to hit the car.
Get mud flaps
To prevent chips in the windscreen, getting mud flaps for the vehicle must be considered. Mud flaps are useful for keeping one safe from items like stone chips, dust, and mud. The best part is that they protect pedestrians and other drivers from flying debris.
Mud flaps provide an extra boost to the protection offered by the fender wells of the vehicle. Fender wells cannot reach all the way behind tires, so there is yet a chance for impact by dirt and dust. So, mud flaps offer an extra layer of protection.
Invest in the protection film
For ultimate protection, invest in a protection film for safety from rock chips for the vehicle windscreen. Such films are completely invisible but will make the windscreen strong and resistant to cracks and chips even when hit by flying rocks. This protection film can endure the process of car washing and can also be removed when the need emerges. Even when the windscreen gets hit by flying rocks, this protective layer will keep the glass in place until it is fixed.
Avoid tail-gaiting
When other vehicles are tail-gated, it is not only annoying and unsafe for other drivers, but it also raises the risk of damage to the windscreen by flying debris like rocks. In case the vehicle being tail-gated kicks up rocks on the road, it is likely that the latter hits your car windscreen before you can reduce speed.
Avoid construction sites
These are notorious for rocks and other debris. The reason is that construction workers and their heavy vehicles are constantly moving materials. So, driving near construction sites must be strictly avoided. If not possible, try a different route or keep a safe distance between your vehicle and other vehicles in the construction zone as much as possible.
Avoid gravel roads
Gravel roads must be avoided whenever possible. They are made mostly of rocks that can compromise the windscreen of the vehicle. It is likely that other drivers on such roads will not follow the speed limit, which exposes your vehicle to flying debris. In case the gravel road cannot be avoided, take care to drive slowly.
Be cautious around train tracks
Rocks can be picked up easily by trains on train tracks. So, avoid driving parallel to or near train tracks when you can. While waiting near train tracks for the sake of crossing trains, maintain a healthy distance between the tracks and your vehicle to avoid debris and rocks.
Avoid busy highways
Driving on highways increases the chance of windscreen damage because of travelling of vehicles at high speeds, the chance of high traffic, and the greater presence of trucks. If highways cannot be avoided, keep a safe distance between the vehicle and other vehicles.
Protect from hail-stones
Large and dense hailstones can damage the windscreen. To avoid this, keep track of the forecast of local weather and keep the vehicle parked in the garage in case you are expecting a hail storm. If there is no garage, park the car near the home building, which will shield it from rain and hail.
Get the chip fixed by professionals
Rock chips can worsen into big cracks if not fixed professionally. To prevent future cracks because of the wrong installation of the windscreen, always get a professional expert to fix stone chip repairs.
In sum, these are all some tips to protect the vehicle from flying debris like rocks and stones. You need to be wary of potential problems, understand warning signs and drive safely.
