A man from Indianapolis had an unlikely story to share which involved his windshield. The rear windshield broke while he was sitting inside the car with the defroster on. From a usual point of view, it appeared like as if somebody has thrown a blunt and a heavy object at the windshield, which is a legit reason for the windshield cracking on its own with full force. The only thing missing upon investigation was the object which was ‘responsible’ for the breakage. Later, it turned out that the only culprit was the cold temperatures at that time.

What causes windshields to crack at low temperatures?

The reason is just elementary science. Glass expands and contracts with the fluctuations in temperatures. So, when there is a sudden change in temperature, the rate at which the glass can expand and contract can cause cracks and at certain situations like the man from Indianapolis experienced, it can break fully.

How to avoid windshields from breaking?    

In order to avoid spending hundreds of dollars for cracked or broken windshields, the idea is to never defrost your windshield with hot water. With the sudden and uninvited introduction of hot temperature to the windshield, the glass will expand without warning and it will obviously pop your windshield. The trick is to use a defroster at a moderate temperature so that hot air is introduced gradually and the glass will ease into the surrounding temperature.

It was likely that the man from Indianapolis, who is known by the name Dave Mejean, turned the highest temperature of his windshield and it was probable that the windshield was unable to take the sudden change in temperature.

Besides spending a fortune on changing a windshield, money is not the only concern as glass can provide a danger to the people around it. The impact from the glass can cause serious injuries as well. So, make sure that the ice on the windshield is handled with care.