As a new driver, it is your responsibility to keep your vehicle in good condition. You also have to follow a few safety laws in regards to your vehicle's upkeep. Most states have laws on the books that make it illegal for you to drive around with a damaged windshield. A damaged windshield can impair your view of the road and put you and other drivers at risk. Listed below are the four most common types of damage that a windshield can sustain and the corresponding type of glass repair that will fix that damage:

Chip Windshield Repair

One of the most common types of windshield repair is chip repair. A chip is a generally any window damage that is smaller than a penny on your windshield. Most of the time you may not even notice when your windshield becomes chipped; you'll just notice that you have a small chip on your windshield. Most windshield chips are caused by small rocks flying up and hitting your windshield.

As soon as you see that your windshield is chipped, you need to call an auto glass repair shop that offers chip repair services. It doesn't cost very much to repair a chipped windshield and generally takes less than half an hour for the mechanic to do. By repairing the chip right away, you may be able to prevent it from turning into a crack.

Cracked Windshield Repair

Cracked windshields are generally the result of either a really large rock hitting your window or a small chip that was not fixed and over time spread out into a crack. Anything larger than a penny that splinters out in straight lines would be considered a crack in your windshield.

If the crack has not spread too much, an auto glass repair shop may be able to patch the crack. However, if the crack extends across your entire windshield, they will probably have to replace your entire windshield.

Scratch Windshield Repair

On your windshield, a scratch generally only appears on the surface of your glass and does not go deeper. Although you may not get a ticket for scratched glass, it could still impair your vision and compromise your safety. Generally, an auto glass repair shop should be able to fix the scratch without replacing your windshield in no time at all.

Shattered Windshield Repair

If your windshield has been shattered in an accident or in an act of vandalism, you will need to have your entire windshield replace. Even having your entire windshield replaced should take less than an hour.

If you notice damage to your windshield, use the guide above to determine if it is a chip, crack or scratch. Once you have determined what type of damage your windshield has sustained, call up your local auto glass repair shop and get a quote for fixing it. You should fix your windshield as soon as possible so you will not get a ticket for a damaged windshield and so you will be safe on the road.

To learn more, contact an auto repair shop like Cadwalader Service Centre, Inc.