Four signs that your windscreen wipers have had enough and need replacing

Often forgotten, and almost always mistreated, windscreen wipers are a key element for safe driving. Their correct operation ensures optimal visibility, especially when driving in bad weather. And since we don’t use them for many months, or we use them incorrectly (for example to remove insect splatter from the windscreen), the wiper blades deteriorate and no longer perform their function properly.

Michelin, which, in case you didn’t know, also sells windscreen wiper blades under its own brand, has promoted the creation of an International Windscreen Wiper Inspection Day, which is celebrated in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia on 16 November. As a curiosity, there is also an Annual Day dedicated to this safety element, which in this case is celebrated on 16 May in Latin America, coinciding with the start of the rainy season there.

The renowned tyre brand has a campaign under way which, in addition to publicising its range of windscreen wiper blades, which you can buy here, aims to raise drivers’ awareness of the importance of keeping windscreen wipers in good condition, and of knowing how to identify when it is time to replace them.

When do I need to replace my windscreen wipers?

And it is that, although you may not believe it, wiper blades you have just fitted can lose effectiveness in a very short time; it is enough to use the wipers to remove insects in summer without using washer fluid, or to “go at it” with the wipers to clear ice in winter without first doing so with a scraper. Therefore, the ideal course of action, as Michelin reminds us, is to replace the wiper blades as soon as any of these symptoms appear:

• Streaks: A clear sign that the rubber of the blades has hardened or cracked, leaving bands of water that are not wiped away. This is usually due to exposure to the weather or to dirt, and depends greatly on the quality of the blades.
• Water trails: Due to the passing of time, or to physical damage that is sometimes not noticeable (it may be in the rubber, or in the blade’s own holder), the wipers leave water trails when wiping, reducing visibility.
• Vibrations: These occur when the rubber of the blades has lost its elasticity, or shows a permanent curvature. It is usually due to exposure to extreme temperatures (heat and cold), and the blade vibrates or wipes “in jumps”, causing a very annoying effect when driving and impairing visibility.
• Squeaking: This is also a very common cause, brought on by the ageing of the rubber, premature wear or blades of very poor quality. They occur because the rubber does not glide silently across the windscreen.

When these symptoms appear, the best thing is to replace the blades directly. It is something you can do yourself, and they are not an expensive item: between 20 and 50 euros for a set of front windscreen blades, depending on the size and type. In any case, it is advisable to replace the blades once a year, and to check them every two or three months (depending on use), making sure that the whole profile of the rubber is even and shows no cracks or tears, that there is no corrosion on the arms or fixings, cleaning the rubber with a damp cloth, and always removing any accumulated dirt, such as leaves, from the base of the windscreen.

Related information of interest

• How to correctly refill washer fluid and why you should not use water
• How the revolutionary windscreen wiper of Tesla works