The increase is due to the fact that there is more winter road maintenance today than before, according to the Swedish Motorists' Association's press secretary Jacob Sidenvall. It is also due to more people driving with studded tire-free tires, which pick up gravel more easily due to their tread pattern.
Today, there are very few cars with mudguards, which means there is more gravel on the roads and it splashes more, says Jacob Sidenvall to Swedish Radio.
Another reason is that windshields have become thinner and more sensitive. According to the Swedish Motorists' Association, the estimated annual repair costs are approximately one billion kronor.
Car windshields today are quite high-tech. When you have to replace a whole windshield, this advanced technology must be fitted in and recalibrated. Replacing a windshield has become very expensive.
