Most of us would conclude that our windshield was a very useful piece of equipment. It keeps cold and heat; wind and rain; and untold numbers of bugs and other airborne road debris out of our faces.  The problem is that consumers have different and more limited expectations from the windshield than the automotive engineer. In other words, we worry about water leaks or ugly dings and cracks affecting our car’s value, while the engineer understands how such damage can affect the vehicle’s structural integrity and passenger safety.

The fact is that the modern automobile and truck, windshield is part of the vehicle’s safety restraint system (SRS) that also includes air bags and seat belts. If any of these safety components are damaged, or are inoperable for any reason, the effectiveness of the entire SRS could be compromised. The SRS is designed to keep vehicle occupants within the relative safety of the passenger compartment during accidents, head-on collisions and roll-overs. Windshields are intended to keep occupants inside the vehicle. Seen from this perspective of personal safety, consumers have a vested interest in making sure any damaged windshield they replace is replaced properly and safely.

Source: car care council