Wiper blades

Safety

The vehicle's wiper blades provide an assurance of good, glare-free visibility in all weather conditions. They thus improve road safety in all manner of driving situations, above all in rain, when snow is falling and in the dark.

Function

The wiper blades in a vehicle must meet the legal requirement for sufficient all-round vision at all times, thereby providing an assurance of road safety in the various situations drivers encounter. This means that wiper blades must meet the following requirements:

• They must clean rain, snow and dirt from the windscreen.
• The wiper range must be dimensioned sufficiently and meet legal requirements in order to ensure that the driver has a sufficient view of road signs and traffic lights extending to the edge of the road.
• The wiper quality must ensure that stray light from oncoming vehicles and the blinding effect associated with it are avoided as far as possible.

These are very challenging requirements given that in addition to mechanical stresses and strains, wiper blades are exposed to the most extreme environmental factors (heat, cold, chemicals and salt spray, for example). Therefore, only high-quality brand-name products can be used if good wiper performance and long-term reliability are to be achieved.

Depreciation

On account of the high levels of stress and strain to which they are exposed, wiper blades are subject to natural wear. As a result, they must be replaced at regular intervals so that good visibility is assured in bad weather and when it is dark. Stripes and streaks on the windscreen or rubbing noises are signs of worn wiper blades. To avoid damage to wiper blades, drivers should not attempt to use them when windscreens are iced over.