While driving home at night, have you ever noticed a reflective glare on your windshield? How about bothersome cracks and scratches in your windshield? There are a variety of occurrences that may impede your view while driving your vehicle. In most cases, the problem has to do with your windshield. A protective auto glass coating on your windshield can help improve visibility. In fact, there are a couple reasons why your windshield is in desperate need of a protective coating.

Prevent Cracks and Scratches

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets forth certain legalities regarding the windshield of a car. According to those legalities, the center of the windshield must be free of any obstructions or damage. A crack may extend through the center of the windshield so long as it does not intersect with other cracks in the windshield.

Other windshield damage must not extend past the height of the top part of the steering wheel and must not extend further than 1 inch from each side of the windshield or even the windshield panel. Damage that is beyond the minimum guidelines may obstruct your view. Cracks and scratches that obstruct your view of the road may pose a significant risk to you and other drivers on the road.

If you are unable to clearly see the road, you run the risk of colliding with another driver or object in the road. Make sure you repair your windshield accordingly and ask a professional about protective coating to prevent further damage. Protective glass coatings can strengthen your windshield, which reduces the likelihood of cracks and scratches.

Reduce Annoying Glare

Drivers, such as yourself, may experience various kinds of glare. Blinding glare, veiling glare, and ghostly glare are all annoying, but they are also very dangerous. In order to better understand the dangers of glare, you need to understand the difference in the types of glare you may experience. Differences in glare include the following:

• Blinding Glare: Glare that is caused by an overwhelming amount of light, whether related to the glare of the sun or the glare of headlights off your windshield. Blinding glare may blind you momentarily (hence the name), which makes it nearly impossible for you to see the road and react to oncoming traffic.
• Veiling Glare: Veiling glare occurs when you are driving opposite the direction of light. For example, if the sun is behind you in the sky while you are driving, it may illuminate a layer of dust or grimy film that appears on your windshield. The effect makes the dust or film look like a "veil" that prevents you from seeing the road before you.
• Ghostly Glare: Ghostly glare can occur as a result of your headlights, the headlights of other drivers, or even street lights illuminating certain objects. For example, if your headlights illuminate a street sign, the glow from the sign may create a temporary ghostly image, or a reflection of the object that is illuminated. Ghostly glare can make it difficult for you to see and may even confuse you, therefore posing serious risks to you and other drivers.

Fortunately, you can reduce troublesome glare by applying a protective coating on your windshield. Some coatings have antireflective, antiglare properties to help improve your driving experience and overall safety. Furthermore, applying a protective coating to your windshield may also prevent the buildup of dust or film across your windshield. Therefore, you can reduce the likelihood of experiencing any veiling, blinding, or ghostly glare.

Speak with an automotive professional about the many other advantages you can experience with glass coatings for your windshield. A professional can assist you in ensuring that the coating you choose is right for you based on any problems you experience while driving.