Windshield replacement safety, an issue often ignored by American motorists, has recently won the attention & support of one of the nation's highest profile consumer campaigners. In Nov/05, Ralph Nader called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a consumer advisory on "the importance of windshield integrity, the relationship to roof strength & rollover crashes, proper replacement procedures & (industry replacement) standards" to create a more informed motoring public. "We welcome Mr. Nader's interest, & support his call for the federal government to issue a consumer advisory", says Leo Cyr, VP (auto) of the National Glass Association. "More than 10M Americans replace damaged windshields every year without giving a thought to the skill of the person replacing their windshield". In a 2004 CASPA survey of consumers, 82% of respondents named windshield safety as important, but none could identify even one of the vital roles the windshield plays in a vehicle's safety system. In fact, modern automobile design relies greatly on the windshield to support the roof during a rollover crash. The windshield is also critical to the correct functioning of the airbags. Improper replacement of a windshield can also cause the glass to detach from the vehicle in a crash, putting the driver and passengers at risk of being thrown out of the vehicle.
