What is safe drive away time and why should you be concerned about it?
Windshields, unlike other components of your car or truck, are not mechanically fastened to the vehicle. This comes as a great surprise to almost everyone.
Windshields are held in place with an adhesive called urethane. Different manufacturers make urethanes that cure at different rates. The cure rate of the urethane depends on weather conditions (temperature and humidity) and type of urethane used during the replacement. Just like there are glues with different curing rates, urethane can have cure rates from 30 minutes to 15 hours depending on the product.
Most companies that offer auto glass repair and replacement services use urethanes that cure in the four to six hour range. They do this to cut costs. Urethanes that cure in 30-60 minutes cost significantly more money. In today's fast paced society most people do not want to wait. At Glass Doctor® of Virginia Beach, we use a urethane from Dow that cures in the 30-60 minute range. We know that this costs more money, but we also understand that our customers need to be back on the road as soon as possible.
In most vehicles, the passenger side air bag uses the windshields to aim the air bag at the passenger. In a front end collision the air bag bounces off the windshield. If the urethane is not cured when this occurs, the windshield can end up on the ground. In a roll-over accident the windshield helps hold the roof of the vehicle. These are huge safety issues.
One of the questions that you need to ask a company when having a windshield replaced is what the safe drive away time is. If they cannot give you a quick answer, it's probably because they don't know.
The Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC) helps set industry standards and accreditation for companies that follow guidelines. It is important to choose a company that is registered with this organization.
To ensure you get quality replacement services, schedule an appointment with Glass Doctor of Virginia Beach or call us at 757-495-6514.