Windshield Wiper Blades For Safe Winter Driving

While driving, you make split-second decisions based on how well you can see the road and vehicles around you. During wet weather conditions, when careful driving is imperative, don’t let worn out windshield wiper blades obstruct your view. 

Like most folks, you probably don’t think about windshield wiper blades until driving through a storm and struggling to see. It’s a dangerous situation that can easily be avoided by having replacement wiper blades installed.

Even if your wiper blade use is minimal, they can suffer damage from a dry climate, acid deposition, ozone and pollution — in addition to wear from common adverse weather conditions in Colorado, such as rain, snow, sleet and hail.

Exposure to extreme temperatures can also damage your wiper blades. Wiper blades are prone to bake and harden in hot sun, leaving them unable to conform to the windshield properly, creating gaps that streak. Freezing temperatures also harden the rubber and make it brittle, which often leads to cracking. Age alone eventually wears rubber out, causing the blades to lose the flexibility needed for performance.

Extensive use, as you might have guessed, is also a culprit in shortening the life of your windshield wiper blades. Prolonged exposure to dirt, road splash and solvents cause the blade edge to deteriorate, leaving it unable to wipe effectively.

How do you determine if your blades are ready for replacement? Cracks, nicks and splits, are all signs that replacement is necessary. However, your blades may look fine and still be brittle or warped badly enough that they will not conform to the windshield.

So, the next step is to run your windshield washer. As your wiper blades move the washer fluid across your windshield, look for chattering, streaking, glazing or vibrating.

Most experts, including our ASE Master Certified Technicians, agree that wiper blades should be replaced every six to twelve months.

At Downing Street Garage we will keep a record of your most recent wiper blade replacement date. We’ll install the best wiper blades, in the correct size, to be sure you can always see clearly when you need to.