Auto Glass Safety Concerns
Table of Contents:
Windshield Replacement Technique Saves Lives
Are you confident that the windshield replacement you’ve
installed will stay in place and help protect the passengers if
the vehicle was in a rollover accident? What if you had the additional
challenge of treating corrosion on that vehicle?
Mark Rizzi, owner of ACR Auto Glass Repair in Alliance, Nebraska,
is resting easy these days, knowing that the methods and materials
that he uses to handle corrosion do restore proper adhesion, even
in a rollover accident. Last month, Mark learned about a 16 year
old girl who walked away unharmed from a rollover accident in her
1990 Toyota Camry. The windshield did its job and stayed in place,
keeping the roof from crushing her as the car rolled. This was especially
rewarding for Mark because he had replaced the vehicle's windshield
in July of 2000 and had treated 50-60% of the bond line on three
sides for level 2 corrosion. He is more confident than ever in the
corrosion procedures he has been teaching for the past few years
at the IGA's Independents' Days conventions.
If you missed the "Rust Treatment Demonstration" and
"What to do about Corrosion" seminar that Mark Rizzi and
Dale Malcolm of Dow Automotive presented at this year's IGA Convention
in Reno, you may want to obtain a copy of the tape recordings. Click
on the order form or call Bill Stephens Productions at (800) 322-4422
to order cassettes #1-9 and #1-10 for $9.99 each, or you can order
all the seminar recordings for $75.00 plus shipping.
We will also advise you what to do about corrosion in subsequent
"Dealing with Corrosion" articles. We will outline the
various levels of corrosion, proper methods of removal, and preparation
of the bonding area. We'll also teach you how to meet the challenges
of satisfying your customer and getting paid for the additional
work when corrosion is found.
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Windshield Replacement
- why is safety so big
AIRBAG PERFORMANCE
Airbag timing - As part of a vehicle's structure, the windshield
is a critical determinant of proper airbag timing. In a crash, an
improperly installed windshield may cause an airbag to deploy too
early or too late. In either case, the safety of the occupants may
be compromised.
Airbag retention - On impact the windshield acts as a brace to support
the passenger side airbag. If the windshield separates, the airbag
does not have a constrained space, and it is not effective in protecting
the occupant.
OCCUPANT RETENTION
The windshield is intended to keep unrestrained occupants inside
the vehicle. In a crash, an improperly installed windshield may
fail to hold and detach from its frame, allowing any passengers
in the vehicle to be ejected, which increases each occupant's chances
for serious or even fatal injuries.
VEHICLE STRENGTH
Structural Integrity - The windshield is an important part of a
vehicle's energy management systems, which directs crash energy
around the occupant compartment. If the windshield is improperly
installed, the vehicle may crumple differently than the manufacturer
intended, which may jeopardize occupants.
Rollover Strength - In a rollover accident, the windshield provides
strength by helping to keep the roof from crushing in on any vehicle
occupants. In some model designs, the windshield supplies up to
50% of the vehicle's rollover strength.
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Windshield Repair
Gone wrong – Fox news excusive
Following is the script of the news segment that ran in Boston
on February 25, 2002 10:00 p.m.
Thousands of shattered windshields are replaced every year in the
Baystate. But there is a problem. And chances are, it's happened
to you. You need a windshield repair and you call a glass company
to replace it.
Here in Massachusetts, about 350,000 windshields are replaced every
year. And although it is a complicated job that requires skill and
training, installers do not have to be licensed or certified. And
experts say those installers are making mistakes. Mistakes you may
never know about until it is too late.
Jeanne Fransway was just 25 years-old when her car veered off a
Wisconsin road two years ago.
911 Call: There is a really bad accident down the road. There
is a car rolled and another smashed up and it looks pretty bad.
Witnesses calling 911 could not find her inside the vehicle.
911 Call: The car is in a ditch and I do not know where the person
is, but there is a shoe in the middle of the road. I do not see
a passenger.
Jeanne's body was found 70 feet away lying on top of the windshield
which had popped out as her car rolled over.
Jon Fransway: It is hard because we were all there when she died.
So no matter about all the good times that you can think of, you
know, there is still a lot of pain.
Experts believe the windshield in Jeanne's car was not properly
installed.
Mitch Becker: What you see is the adhesive that holds the windshield
in place and you can see where it just lets go. It is not the adhesive
that had a problem. It is the whole installation process and the
way the person used it failed.
In crash tests, you can see how the windshield will keep you inside
a car. When properly installed, the windshield will deflect the
airbag and keep the roof from caving in on you.
But if the glass pops out, you can be thrown from the car - which
greatly increases your chance of dying.
Experts tell Fox Undercover that windshields are often replaced
improperly because many installers are either sloppy or have not
been trained well enough. So we decided to find out for ourselves
how area glass companies stack up when it comes to looking out for
your safety.
Fox Undercover took three cars and had their windshield replaced
by three different glass companies. Time after time, we found examples
of what could be a deadly problem.
We watched as the installer gets down to business. He has no idea
that one of his customers is Vincent Salluzzo - president of National
Associates for Safe Auto Glass Replacement.
Salluzzo said he spotted several significant mistakes.
Salluzzo: I do not think you can do it properly outdoors, anything
below 40 degrees.
Salluzzo says it is especially risky when it is below 40 degrees.
When it is cold outside, it takes longer for the adhesive to dry.
And when the adhesive is not dry, your windshield is not secure.
The installer should be using a more expensive two-part glue that
dries faster. But he was not, despite a warning from the manufacturer
not to use the type of glue he was using in temperatures below 40
degrees.
Salluzzo: When they do it outdoors, in cold weather, using the
wrong adhesive compromises safety.
And he did not remove the cowl - the panel between the hood and
the windshield. It is a short cut Salluzzo says could cost you your
life.
Salluzzo: By having to slide it under the cowl, the urethane hits
the edge and you do not get the surface bond like you would if you
set it down.
The installer told us our car would be safe to drive in one hour.
But two hours later, Salluzzo pressed on the glass and there was
the windshield.
Mike Beaudet: Is this windshield safe?
Salluzzo: Absolutely not. It is inconceivable to even describe it
as safe. This car will not be safe to drive in probably a week,
10 days, two weeks or who knows when.
Another installer replaced our windshield in less than 20 minutes.
Salluzzo: If speed is what counts, the guy was the best. World
class. But I do not think speed is what counts. What counts is safety.
It was 35 degrees outside and the installer used the wrong kind
of glue. And because he did not remove the cowl, he had to jam the
windshield inside. And that means it is not as secure as it should
be.
The installer told us our car would be safe to drive as soon as
he finished the job. And that the car would be okay, as long as
we did not go through a car wash in the next two days.
Salluzzo: In a rollover, there is no question the roof would have
crushed, had the airbag gone off it would have gone off across the
street. We can virtually lift it off the car at this point.
Beaudet: Did this guy cut corners?
Salluzzo: Oh, absolutely. Nobody should be driving this car.
Beaudet: Would you want to be driving this car?
Salluzzo: No, nobody should be driving this car.
Our last windshield was replaced by an installer who works for
another glass shop. Like the others, he did not remove the cowl.
But he taped it up so it was out of the way.
Salluzzo: This installer, I thought, was pretty conscientious.
I thought he did the very best he could under the conditions he
had to work under. One of the first things he did was warn us not
to drive the car for an hour and 15 minutes.
But that warning is wrong. While the adhesive that was used is
supposed to dry in cold temperatures, the manufacturer says the
car is not safe to drive for at least two hours.
Beaudet: Overall, how would you characterize the job these companies
did?
Salluzzo: None of these cars are safe to drive. It is as simple
as that.
And Salluzzo says the glass companies are not the only ones to
blame. He says the real culprits are the insurance companies that
do not want to pay glass companies to do the job right.
Beaudet: What is the message to the insurance companies?
Salluzzo: Wake up. You are playing with lives and not dollars.
The Automobile Insurers Bureau of Massachusetts did not want to
comment on our investigation. And neither did the Massachusetts
Glass Dealers Association.
If you are wondering what you can do to make sure your windshield
replacement is proper, there are some steps you can take.
Our expert says if you need to get your windshield replaced in
the winter, you should have it done indoors. Insist that a strong
adhesive be used to bond the glass.
Make sure the installer removes the cowl before replacing the windshield.
Do not drive your car until the adhesive has fully dried. Check
with the manufacturer of the adhesive to find out when your vehicle
will be safe to drive.
And do not let your insurance company steer you in the wrong direction.
It may recommend a place that cuts corners and that could cost you
your life.
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