Watch Your Back: A Dirty Rear Windshield Obstructs Visibility, Compromises Safety

BROADVIEW, Ill., March 28 -- Ever backed straight into another object while parking or backing out of a garage? Turned into another vehicle coming up behind you already in the very lane you're turning into?

It's possible you were distracted by noisy children or a conversation with another passenger. But it could also have been because you couldn't see through your rear windshield, said Otto Stefaner, Senior Product Manager for Bosch, a leading global supplier of windshield wiper systems.

"Statistics show that 16 percent of consumers who buy two blades for a three-blade vehicle, do not purchase the third blade," Stefaner said. "Front wipers are replaced, on average, every three years, but the rear wiper is replaced only every six."

Since the rear wiper is used less frequently, many think it's okay to replace it infrequently. Wrong move, says Stefaner.

"All-around visibility is critical to safe driving," he emphasized. "In fact, infrequent use decreases the flexibility of the wiping element, resulting in severe streaking that impairs a driver's vision, and poses a safety risk."

The next time you take your car in for service, have your mechanic check both -- front and rear wipers -- to see if they are doing their job, recommends Josi Waldschuetz, owner, Austrian Motors Ltd., Atlanta, GA.

"It's amazing what effect a seemingly unimportant item such as a worn out rear wiper can have on your safety," she says. "A dirty rear windshield can quickly turn into a safety hazard."

Bosch, which invented the first electric windshield wiper system in 1926, recently introduced "Hindsight" rear windshield wipers with a precision-cut natural rubber wiping edge that removes the smallest droplets, plus an enclosed metal tension spring which prevents water, snow or ice buildup while keeping the blade firmly against the windshield.

Focused on upgrading visibility at both the front and rear of the vehicle, Bosch's new ICON(TM) front wiper blades have a unique bracketless design with dual rubber technology, a weather shield connector system, and an integrated aerodynamic wind spoiler.

"These blades conform to the curvature of every windshield, wiping smoothly from top to bottom and from side to side, with no missed spots or streaks -- even at highway speeds or in severe winds when there is danger of lift-off," Stefaner said. [ http://www.boschusa.com/ ]