During the course of its life, your normal set of Wiper Blades will wipe the windscreen over 1 million times, and travel about 800 miles. Wiper Blades as a rule are made from natural rubber, as this provides the most durable edge for wiping over the glass. However, being subject to such demanding conditions, and also being exposed to the elements, can cause even the Best Wiper Blades to wear down quite fast. Frequent exposure to sunlight, ozone and precipitation will have detrimental effects on your Wiper Blades.

How often people change their Wiper Blades is affected by numerous factors. One being where a person resides. A person residing in Northern Europe may change their wipers in time with the changing seasons; once in summer, once in winter. As you move further South into Southern Europe, the Wiper Blades are changed less, due to the drier weather conditions. Another factor is the type of wiper blade being used. The Best Wiper Blades are silicone wiper blades, and people with these blades equipped will notice they have to change their Wiper Blades less compared to regular rubber Wiper Blades.

One thing that is apparent is that in most cases, drivers aren’t changing their Wiper Blades as regularly as they should be. Some drivers are even endangering the lives of themselves and their passengers by using Wiper Blades that aren’t up to standard. Research tells us that 60% of drivers who do not change their own Wiper Blades blame the perplexing amount of adapters that come with many replacement blades. Also some drivers are detered by the various types of Wiper Blades available, such as Silicone Windscreen Wipers, as they are uninformed of the suitability for their own vehicle. Some drivers will try toadjust the Wiper Blades themselves, and can end up damaging the hardware by using too much force to pull off the blade. The consequentialaggravation is enough to put some off for good. However, Wiper Blades are much easier to change now than in previous years. Often drivers would be required to use a screwdriver to try and pry the Wiper Blades off, now it’s much easier to do and causes less aggrevation.

However, making the blades easier to change isn’t enough for some drivers, and they still aren’t changing them enough. Some companies are attempting to raise awareness of the need to keep your Wiper Blades in superb, and that even the Best Wiper Blades need to be checked to make sure they work fully. A company named Valeo are doing just that, by developing a set of Wiper Blades that have a ‘wear indicator,’ which allows drivers to see when their Wiper Blades need replacing. The blade simply simulates the ageing process by changing from black to yellow, giving an obvious sign it needs replacing.

Hopefully, with companies continuing to encourage ideas like this, and increasing awareness of road safety, will encourage drivers to change their blades on a regular basis, ensuring the continued safety of driver and passengers.

You can save yourself a decent amount of cash doing a few of those trivial, but vital, jobs on your car yourself. A lot of things can be altered or replaced without the support of a trained mechanic. Amongst these jobs are checking your oil, brake fluid and engine coolant levels, tyre pressures, ancillary drive belt tension and condition, making sure your engine hoses are free from cracks & perishing, and last but not least, replacing your cars Windscreen Wipers.

Every vehicle on the road needs good Wiper Blades. Poor Wiper Blades will make difficult driving circumstances such as rain, sleet and snow even trickier. Driving in those conditions with a mediocre set of Wiper Blades can put the life of you and your passengers at risk. Wiper Blades in weak condition can be sufficient reason for your car to fail its MOT. Also, if the police were to stop you and run a spot check, faulty Wiper Blades could land you with a £1000 fine. So it’s a safety check well worth doing!

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How frequently you need to do this is dependant on the kind of Wiper Blades you have. Your regular set of rubber Windscreen Wipers will probably need changing at least once a year to offset wear and tear, and if you live in a hostile environment, such as at the coast, with its raised levels of ultra violet light and abrasive salty atmosphere, you might well need to change your Wiper Blades twice as often. However, if you spend a little extra and purchase some Silicone Wiper Blades, the rate of changes will drop dramatically . Silicone Wiper Blades are more robustthan average rubber Windscreen Wipers. They’re more resistant to the effects of U.V., chemicals, atmospheric pollutants and extremes of temperature. Manufacturers of the Silicone Wiper Blades often guarantee them for at least 12 months, some guarantee them for the life of your car. They are a sensible investment, especially in for people who drive their car in more extreme conditions.

Now altering your Windscreen Wipers is a relatively clear-cut process. First of all – make sure you buy the right ones to fit your make of car (you should be able to find this information in your owner’s manual!).

Next, you need to pull the Windscreen Wipers arm up, so it’s in the air. Remove the older blade by pushing the small tab, and pulling the blade off. Sometimes this can be a little awkward, and you may need to use something like the head of a screwdriver to just lever the attachment off if it’s awkward or stiff . Then you simply take your new wiper blade and insert it onto the Windscreen Wipers arm. As you do this, listen for a click. That’ll let you know the attachment has slipped into position. Then just give it a gentle pull to ensure it has fixed on securely, and won’t come off whilst you’re driving! Then you simply pop the Windscreen Wipers arm back , and you’re all set ! Uncomplicated , and it will save you a lot of money!