Glass Aid

Yes, it is completely safe; windshield chip repair does not disturb the factory seal. Auto safety experts believe it is as important as seat belts at keeping passengers in the car, truck or suv.  An improperly installed windshield can come out in an auto accident or be blown out by an airbag. Without the windshield in the vehicle there is a higher injury rate, the injuries are more severe and there is a higher fatality rate ( 8 of 10 on average, thrown from a vehicle die).  In a head-on crash, the windshield works with the auto/truck body to control the collapse of the vehicle.  Without the windshield, the body may collapse inward on the driver and passengers. Further without the windshield, the roof is more likely to collapse when the vehicle rolls over in an accident, as the windshield provides structural upper-cab strength. Roll over accidents account for 3 in 10, deaths of the 40,000 plus killed and 5,000,000 plus  injuried each year.

We, at Glass Aid, have been repairing windshields since 1989. Windshield chip repair has been around for over 30 years.  During this time, millions of windshields have been repaired.  Our chip repairs will pass all state and D.O.T safety inspections.

We have had four vehicles where we repaired the windshields and the cars were later involved in accidents and were severely damaged or totaled.  The first, caused by a driver running a stop sign striking the repaired car, breaking the dash in half.  The second, caused by a driver crossing the center line impacting the repaired auto head on and shoving the engine part way through the fire wall. Third a company vehicle that had  three chip repairs and was hit on the passenger side, spining it 180 degrees, breaking the rear axle in two pieces, besides buckling the roof. Fourth a vehicle with a front end impact, that damaged the engine and even after the passenger side air bag deployed at an estimated 100 mph or more, the repair survived. (pictured below)  While the windshields were severely cracked on three of the vehicles, the area repaired had no cracks.

(Click on the above pictures to enlarge.)

Jeanne Fransway, 25, pictured upper right, along with a picture of the car she was driving when she was killed due to an improperly replaced windshield.

Windshield replacement on the other hand is another story.

• ABC News 20/20 February 2000 ran a story, "Safe Windshield Replacement"; in it they reported many windshields nationwide that were replaced improperly.  They showed two women in separate auto accidents, one was killed and the other was paralyzed from the neck down.  Experts believe both windshields, which came out during the accident, were improperly installed. 
• Fox News "Under Cover" in Boston February 2002  ran a story about this same problem.  In it they had three windshields replaced, all three were considered unsafe and dangerous by an expert.  As in the 20/20 report both stories showed improperly handled glass and many unsafe short cuts. 
• KPRC in Houston July 2003 ran a story about unsafe windshield replacement. They showed a car with a cracked windshield that only minutes before, the driver had been told the new windshield was installed and it was safe to drive. Further they told of other unsafe situations.
• Denver Fox 31 KDVR "Fox Under Cover", February 7, 2005, showed again the same problems, mishandled glass, improper installation procedures and unsafe drive away times. One vehicle did not have the correct windshield adhesive used.