This year the insurer has paid has paid EUR 1.7 million in insurance claims submitted for broker car wind shields already, as reported by insurance company Balta.
The summer season in Latvia is the season of the most intensive road repairs. Motorists are advised to be especially careful when driving on roads undergoing repairs, because the pebbles that bounce off the surface of roads can cause considerable damages to a car’s wind shield. Balta’s experience indicates that in summer months, when road repairs are usually the most active, the number of insurance claims submitted for damaged wind shields usually doubles when compared to other seasons.
A small amount of damage can still cause large losses
Last year Balta paid more than EUR 3 million in insurance claims involving damaged wind shields. It is expected the number of this year’s insurance claims will remain at least almost the same. At the same time, the average insurance claim amount has increased when compared to last year and now exceeds EUR 500.
A small egg is enough to cause serious damage to the wind shield. The reason is because there is risk of the crack expanding under wind pressure. This is why damages should be prevented as quickly as possible.
«It is dangerous to drive with a damaged wind shield, because any mechanical damage to it affects visibility. Damaged wind shield can be the reason why a technical inspection of the vehicle could result in prohibition to drive such a vehicle, as poor visibility can and often does put other road traffic participants at risk. Every time the crack in the wind shield expands, repairs become more expensive. This is why they should not be delayed,» says Balta Transport Products and Risk Management Office manager Kristaps Liecinieks.
New trend – fixing instead of replacing
According to recent trends, more and more motorists choose to repair the wind shield instead of replacing it entirely.
«Damages can be fixed by filling the damaged place with a special polymer substance, which is a more economical, environmentally friendlier and faster solution. Additionally, it works just as well as replacing the wind shield. However, this works only in situations when the diameter of the crack does not exceed the size of a EUR 2 coin. Results from such repairs generally turn out best if done immediately after the crack appeared,» says Armands Leināts, manager of Carglass specialised vehicle wind shield repair service in Latvia.
Kristaps Liecinieks adds that modern cars have additional functions included in their wind shield, such as sensors with functions like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, rain sensor and traffic sign recognition. If the wind shield is replaced, these sensors have to be re-calibrated, since even the slightest deviations can cause errors and malfunctions. Re-calibration is not needed if the wind shield undergoes repairs instead.
Summer – the season of broken wind shields in Latvian
