Clear vision is essential to safe driving, especially in the wintertime. Neglect your wiper blades, and you may find yourself in hazardous weather situations with limited vision.

The most important aspect of driving is being aware of your surroundings. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, a driver's best friend is a set of wiper blades that leave your windshield with a consistent, clean, clear wipe.

In Beaverton, Clackamas, and Portland Oregon along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest, not only is a clean windshield a necessity during the rain, snow and sleet of Oregon and Washington, but how many times have you experienced a windshield that is smeared with insects, bird droppings, road tar or other messy deposits? Removing such dirt with worn wiper blades is nearly impossible. Usually, you wind up smearing the mess and obscuring your vision even more increasing your chances of having an auto accident which may result in bodily injury. and could also affect your Portland auto insurance rates. If you change your blades regularly, you can avoid these problems and keep your eyes clearly on the road. 

So when should you change your wiper blades?

When a blade is past its physical prime, it will show wear signs like cracking or discoloration. Another indicator that it's time for new wiper blades is by the quality of the wipe. Streaking or unwiped areas are a dead giveaway. If the blades make noise or chattering sounds, then they need to be replaced.

How often should you replace your blades?

The National Highway Transportation Board recommends that drivers change their wiper blades, at minimum, every year. However, the average vehicle owner replaces his/her wiper blades only once every 2.5 years. 

If you've been procrastinating about changing your windshield wiper blades, take a few minutes today to change them. You'll be glad you did when your windows are clear and dry this winter.

Contact us for more information about driver safety.