Falling Rocks in Colorado Can Cause Car Damage & Accidents

Falling Rocks Can Lead to a Cracked Windshield or Worse

Windshield replacement is the #1 insurance claim handled by auto body repair shops in the United States. If you’re going to be driving around on the mountainous roads that Colorado is known for, chances are you may encounter falling rocks that can damage your windshield. Cracking around the edge of the windshield is the most common because this part of the car cracks more than two times easier than the rest of the windshield. When your car’s windshield is cracked by a stone hitting it, the crack continues to get larger due to intense changes in temperature. While encountering huge landslides and boulders is fairly rare, flying rocks getting kicked up off the mountain roads is not uncommon. For that matter, rocks and other debris getting kicked up while driving on the highways of Denver can happen anytime, anywhere.

Windshields in Good Repair Protect Your Vehicle

A cracked windshield is not only annoying and unsightly, but it’s illegal and can lead to auto accident injuries and death. The windshield of your vehicle does not only keep out the elements and debris, it also plays a crucial role in car safety. Windshields prevent the driver and passengers from being ejected from the vehicle, is the backboard for the airbags, and also supports the roof, which plays an important role in cases of rollovers. A damaged windshield can compromise these safety features, as well as lead to windshield shattering while driving.

What Should I Do If My Windshield Is Damaged?

While it’s not illegal to drive with a chipped windshield, small chips and fissures that are not repaired early on can very quickly lead to bigger damage. If you have small chips or “bulleted-looking” cracks in your windshield caused by flying rocks, it’s best to have them repaired right away. You can save yourself money and annoyance by getting cracks in your windshield repaired at Fisher Auto in Boulder before the entire windshield needs to be replaced.  Or, if the damage is too extensive or too far gone, Fisher Auto can replace the entire windshield.  This is especially important because many insurance companies will not cover the windshield replacement if you just let a small problem get worse.

Accidents on Colorado Highways and Mountain Passes Caused by Rocks

Rock slides and avalanches occur along the Colorado mountain passes due to water & earth shifting during spring thaws and weaknesses created by excavations to build roads. That means that you still face the potential of encountering rock debris and boulders along the highways too, especially along the major highways of Denver on the way to the ski resorts. CDOT is always checking for potential for large boulders to fall or removing rocks that are hindering traffic, and there are barriers to protect the roads from rock debris. However, drivers are more likely to get into an accident by trying to swerve and avoid large rocks and boulders that have already fallen.  This can lead to much more serious collisions that may result in more than just windshield repair or replacement.
Fisher Auto can service any make or model vehicle, no matter how extensive the damage may be. Fisher Auto has been proudly serving the greater Denver area for over 40 years, and is dedicated to keeping your car in top shape.  Call us or come in today to see all that we have to offer!