New Chemical Keeps Windshields Clear

Pittsburgh, PA-based PPG Industries is unveiling a new chemical application designed to keep car and truck windshields clear of rain and ice, while improving nighttime visibility by cutting headlight glare.

Aquapel glass treatment is a new chemical application designed to bond with windshields for longer lasting water repellant and glare reducing performance, said Paul Recrosio, business manager for the new product line.

"Aquapel makes it easier to scrape off ice, snow and dirt, to improve winter driving - even in milder climates, where it helps repel rain as well as enhance bug and sap removal," he said. Recrosio added that one application on the windshield, side window or rear window should last for up to four months, depending on the severity of the weather conditions.

He also pointed to a Univ. of Michigan Transportation Research Institute study, which found that a driver's forward visibility can improve as much as 34% after a car windshield is coated with a glass treatment. The study also found as much as a 25% improvement in a driver's response time after windshield treatment, from four seconds to three.