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The automobile industry's focus on safety in the past two decades has completely changed the way consumers shop for vehicles. Nowadays, features such as side airbag protection and anti-lock brakes are as important to a consumer as fuel efficiency or reliability. There is one aspect of automobile safety, however, that most people give relatively little thought to, and yet is pivotal to the safety of a car - the windshield. Windshields and the importance of protecting them Many people do not realise that windshields of today are actually safety devices in themselves, designed to work in conjunction with the other restraining systems of the car. Airbag systems, for example, require the strength of a properly bonded windshield in order to function properly. If the airbag deployment causes the windshield to pop out, the airbag will not provide the intended protection for the passenger. Windshields are responsible for up to 30 percent of the overall structural integrity of a car. The strength of the windshield helps prevent roof cave-ins in rollover type accidents. An important factor of which many drivers are not aware is that the original factory-installed windshield is by far the strongest and best protection for the vehicle. A replaced windshield, even when performed by a qualified technician, will never be as strong as the original. Nevertheless, windshield damage does occur. Common windshield damages include chips and cracks inflicted by flying road debris. The vulnerability of windshields is largely due to the composition of glass. Although it appears smooth, glass actually contains bumps and ruts invisible to the naked eye. As tiny debris flies through the air it becomes lodged in these microscopic flaws, resulting in windshield cracks. Is there a solution? To avoid windshield damage and hence windshield replacement, owners can invest in products such as protective films or chemicals designed to absorb impact. Protective films are typically applied to the exterior of the windshield and reduce the damaging effects of items like flying pebbles or rocks. The impact of debris that may shatter an unprotected windshield often causes just a minor chip, if at all, in one covered with a protective film. Specially-formulated chemicals similarly protect windshields by bonding with the surface of the glass and smoothing out the microscopic imperfections. ClearPlex - Invisible Windshield Protection Film ClearPlex is a patented film applied to the exterior surface of a windshield, preventing damage from ordinary highway rock strikes and road debris. ClearPlex is virtually invisible, providing optical clarity and UV protection. The product is the first and only optically clear protection film for vehicle windshields and is designed to take on whatever the road dishes out - leaving the glass in pristine condition. Benefits of ClearPlex As said, pebbles, rocks or other debris on the roads can cause damage to the windshield. With ClearPlex installed, impact from the damage which will shatter normal, unprotected glass only leaves a small dimple on the film, thus protecting the windshield and leaving the glass completely undamaged. This could prove critical at the point of impact as shattered glass would impair the driver