Summer means more time on the road for many Gippsland drivers. Whether you’re heading away for the holidays, visiting family, exploring the coast or simply clocking up more kilometres on local roads, your windscreen has an important job to do.
But on many modern vehicles, the windscreen does much more than protect you from wind, weather and road debris. It can also form part of the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance systems.
Cameras and sensors used by these systems may be mounted around the windscreen, which means windscreen calibration in Gippsland can become an important consideration when a modern windscreen is replaced.
Before you set off on your summer travels, it’s worth understanding just how much technology may be sitting behind the glass in front of you.
Why Summer Can Be Tough on Your Windscreen
Australian summer driving can expose windscreens to some challenging conditions.
Hot days, changing temperatures, loose stones and debris on regional roads can all take their toll on automotive glass.
A small stone chip that has been easy to ignore may also become a bigger problem if it begins to spread.
That’s why it’s worth checking your windscreen before a long summer drive rather than discovering a problem when you’re already hundreds of kilometres from home.
Look for chips, cracks or damage that may affect your view of the road. If you notice something, having it assessed early may help determine whether a windscreen repair is possible or whether replacement is required.
Your Windscreen May Be Part of Your Vehicle’s Safety Technology
Modern vehicles increasingly use Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, commonly known as ADAS.
Depending on the vehicle, these systems can support features such as lane departure warnings, lane keeping assistance, forward collision warnings and automatic emergency braking.
Some of these systems rely on cameras mounted behind or near the windscreen to monitor the road ahead.
That makes the positioning of the windscreen – and the camera associated with it – particularly important.
Replacing the glass is no longer necessarily the end of the job.
Why Windscreen Calibration Can Be Required After Replacement
When a windscreen containing or supporting an ADAS camera is replaced, the relationship between the camera, windscreen and road may be affected.
Even though everything may look perfectly normal from the driver’s seat, the vehicle manufacturer may require the camera or associated system to be recalibrated following replacement.
Windscreen calibration in Gippsland helps ensure applicable ADAS cameras and systems are correctly set up following the work.
The exact requirements vary between vehicle manufacturers, models and systems, which is why modern windscreen replacement isn’t always as straightforward as removing the old glass and fitting a new one.
How Do You Know If Your Vehicle Has ADAS?
You may already use ADAS features without thinking much about where the technology is located.
Does your vehicle warn you if you begin drifting out of your lane? Does it display a forward collision warning? Does it have automatic emergency braking or other driver assistance features?
If so, cameras or sensors may form part of the system.
You may also notice a camera housing near the rear-view mirror at the top of the windscreen.
If you’re unsure, don’t guess. Your windscreen technician can identify the vehicle and determine whether calibration requirements need to be considered as part of a windscreen replacement.
Don’t Leave Windscreen Damage Until the Day Before Your Holiday
The days immediately before a summer road trip are often busy enough already.
There’s packing to do, vehicles to fuel, accommodation to organise and plenty of last-minute jobs to finish.
Finding a crack spreading across your windscreen shouldn’t be another item on the list.
If you’ve noticed a chip or crack, arrange to have it looked at before your trip.
Minor windscreen damage may sometimes be repairable, depending on factors such as its size, type and location. If replacement is necessary, identifying that earlier also gives you time to make sure any associated calibration requirements are taken care of.
Regional Driving Can Mean Plenty of Kilometres
Living and driving in Gippsland often means travelling longer distances than drivers in metropolitan areas.
Regional roads, highways and rural routes can expose vehicles to loose stones, gravel, debris and changing road conditions.
A windscreen that’s already damaged may be put under additional stress during a long journey.
Before setting out this summer, take a moment to inspect the glass rather than simply checking your tyres, oil and fuel.
A clear, undamaged windscreen is an important part of having good visibility on the road.
What If You Need a Windscreen Replacement?
If damage can’t be safely repaired, the windscreen may need to be replaced.
With modern vehicles, the replacement process should take the vehicle’s technology into account.
That means identifying whether the vehicle has relevant ADAS equipment and whether calibration is required following replacement.
Gippsland Windscreens provides windscreen replacement services for a wide range of vehicles and can help determine the appropriate requirements for your vehicle.
With both workshop and mobile windscreen services available, local drivers can arrange repairs or replacement to suit their circumstances.
Get Your Windscreen Ready for Summer Driving
Before heading away this summer, add your windscreen to your vehicle checklist.
Check for stone chips and cracks, make sure your view through the glass is clear and don’t ignore damage that appears to be getting worse.
And if your modern vehicle requires a replacement windscreen, remember that there’s potentially more involved than the glass itself.
For vehicles equipped with applicable driver assistance technology, professional windscreen calibration in Gippsland can be an important part of completing the replacement correctly.
Gippsland Windscreens provides local windscreen repairs, windscreen replacements and ADAS calibration services for drivers throughout Gippsland, West Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley.
So whether you’re staying local or heading away on a summer road trip, you can start your journey with a clear view of the road ahead.