Thanksgiving Holiday Travels & Auto Glass Safety

When the Thanksgiving season arrives, many people will hit the open road to visit family, stay for extended days, and enjoy the holiday together. If you plan to meet up with your family for Thanksgiving, then you will want to avoid disaster as much as possible. Along with food disasters and the typical family bickering, you should also consider your auto glass.



The last thing you want to worry about is auto glass damage while you travel for the holiday. Use this guide to learn about Thanksgiving-adjacent situations where auto glass damage can occur, what to avoid, and how to get repairs done if an incident does occur. The guide will help you de-stress and have one less worry for the festive holiday.

Thanksgiving & Auto Glass Damage

Check out three different situations where you may run into auto glass issues when you travel and visit family for Thanksgiving.

1. Early Morning Travels

Thanksgiving remains one of the most popular travel times across the United States. As you plan to travel, you may want to leave the house early and get to your destination without any traffic jams or issues. While you may avoid traffic, your early departure could include frosted windows.

In an effort to leave quickly, you do not want to cause any damage to your windshield. For example, if the windshield is frozen over, you do not want wipers to scrape ice across the windshield and cause a crack. You also do not want to use warm or hot water to try and melt the frost. The sudden change in temperature could cause extra pressure on the glass and create cracks.

Take the extra time to start your vehicle early and run the defroster. When it runs long enough, you can melt away the ice slowly and have a perfectly clear windshield to drive with.

2. Unusual Parking Spots

When you arrive at a family home, the area could have limited space available in the driveway. Other cars could be in the way and take up all the space. You could be left parking on the street or on the lawn property of your relative. When you have to park in an unusual spot, be aware of the surroundings and possible windshield damage.

For example, if you park under a tree, you do not want a branch to fall on your windshield and crack the glass. If a branch becomes impaled in the windshield, then you will need the whole piece of glass replaced before you can drive on the road again. Weather conditions like rain or snow could increase the chances for fallen branches or debris.

Try to park in an open space where available. If the family member lives on a busy street, you do not want to worry about flying debris like rocks that shoot up and damage the windshield. Try to find the safest spot possible and check on your car periodically.

3. Outdoor Activities

While meals cook, many families like to spend time outdoors to play games and spend time together. When the family goes to play outdoors, try to keep a lot of activity in the opposite direction of your vehicle. Baseballs, basketballs, and footballs can all cause damage to a windshield, along with other recreational items.

A little extra caution will keep the windshield protected and allow everyone to have holiday fun. If possible, limit the outdoor activity to the backyard and away from parked vehicles.

Local Companies & On-Location Repairs

If your auto glass does crack or break while you visit family for vacation, you can find a repair shop to help you get back on the road quickly. Before the trip, prepare your phone contacts with local auto glass companies that live near your relatives. You want to find close businesses so the repairs get done quickly.

Many auto glass companies offer a free estimate over the phone. Look for those numbers so you can call and explain the situation. An auto glass company can also answer questions you have about insurance claims.

In many cases, the auto glass company can travel right to your relative's house. You do not need to drive a damaged vehicle to another business or try to find your way around an area you may not know very well. Thanks to portable tools and a lot of experience, the auto glass professionals can complete the tasks right on-location.

While the repairs get done, you do not need to worry about any lost time with family members or cutting your vacation short due to the damage. Some businesses may have emergency holiday hours available on Thanksgiving, but in most cases, you will have to wait until the next day and can still enjoy the fast service.

For more information on auto glass repairs, contact us at MS Glass Outlet. We have locations all around the Oregon and Washington area to supply you with assistance as you enjoy the Thanksgiving vacation. Our professionals will help repair and replace auto glass as needed.