Do you think it should be required, in this day of consumer safety, to notify the consumer IN WRITING, with set time, temperature and humidity, the correct safe drive away(SDA) time?

I had 2 more customers just yesterday tell me tha last time the had their windshield relaced (same vehicle) the shops told them "just put keep your seatbelt for the next few hours" and the other never said a word, just cleaned the glass and away went the customer about 30 minutes after the windshield was set. If we are all required to PUBLISH in writing the SDA and supporting data would it help if a failure occured? I understand many of you probably already do this as do we, but without any written data how will we ever show when an installer did something improperly?

Side note: Does anyone know a faster SDA than 45 minutes? We use Dow express which ranges from 50 to 60 minutes SDA, I think Sika ASAP is 45 best case SAD? So how can shops let these cars go in 20 to 30 minutes after setting the windshield?

sorry for all the typos, guess I need another cup of coffee this morning!!!

It's not;
When the car can be driven. Right away!

It's;
When can the car be crashed?
When will it perform to meet the crash specs?

If the car is driven "Right away" then it can be potentially crashed or involved in an accident "right away"?

what if you just tell the customer not to crash the car for the next two hours... are you still liable if they do?

Good question !! I am just trying to provoke thought on this issue. Not sure there is any right or wrong answers exactly.

AGRSS requires that the owner of the vehicle be advised of the proper safe drive away time taking into account the time, temperature and humidity conditions relative to the retention system used. In addition, it is best to record all product lot numbers and the time, temp and humidity at the point of installation.

Isn't "be advised" of SDA rather vague? AGRSS standard doesn't say anything about any means of recording or advising, just that lot#, etc. much be traceable. I assume this was to allow flexibility in how a company chose to record these items, but is it that difficult to give an SDA in writing with a signature required, wouldn't that further insure that the vehicle occupant was actually advised?

I couldn't agree more and I would imagine that those who are most concerned with safety would do so. Stressing the safety aspect of proper AGR is a great way to build customer loyalty too.

We advise the customer of the SDA time in writing. If the customer wants to drive away sooner, we have them sign our written notice. That makes them fully responsible if they were to crash and experience windshield failure before the cure time.

We tell customers before starting when car will be safe to drive and why. In shop we don't release until safe but still give a dry time chart. On mobile jobs we leave a copy of dry time chart when ticket is settled and explain it. We checked most local shops and half or better tell customers to drive right away but stay off the highway for 24 hours.

We also have a statement on tickets that they recieved a dry time chart and understand it. We do use Express on most retail jobs.

Around So. Cal. the dry time chart is blue masking tape. The low ballers love it. I wonder what it's tensile strength is? Don't you just hate to see a car driving with blue tape on it?

we use express and tell them not to drive vehicle for 4 hours just to be safe, we make them sign a paper that says not to drive vehicle for 4 hrs for safety

My thought would be if a customer takes a vehicle before the SDA then the glass shop is responsible. Even if you have them sign something that releases all liablilty. We are the professionals and need to make the customer aware under no circumstances can they drive the car sooner. The glass shop should still be responsible. Any lawyer is gonna shoot that down like nothing.

SDA Directly effects the function of the air bags and the roof crush. The air bags and the abilty of the A Pillers to stop a roof crush are safety devices that are built into a vehicle. Federal law prohibits anyone to release a vehicle to a customer with a disabled safety device. You can not release a the car to the customer until the SDA has been reached. If you were to release the car before the SDA time you are not operating according to AGRSS standards.

Obviously, you can't be doing mobile work. because as soon as you leave the keys to the car, and you leave the site the vehicle has been "released"

The main point is that you cannot escape liability by having the customer sign a paper that they asume responsibility.

The guy in the right seat may not have signed the form !!!

Libility for mobile should cost more because of no control. One of many reason I give my costmers for not doing mobil work. When conditions arn't right the install can't be either. Its time has past.

we have all customers sign and read a guideline for sda it has the currenttemp and humidity on it also sikas chart. where they sign it tells them also their warranty will be voided if they drive it sooner, that makes a bigger impression usually than the sda

also liability insurance does cost more for mobile shops. we live in wy and when we wrote up our vehicle release form we had our attorney look over it. he stated that in wy a signed contract with a witness i.e. the installer was nearly impossible to sue if the guidlines of the contract were breached by the customer since they were given fair warning.

Lee I agree and thanks for your help.We also use express but also use 418hv for body shops.Had one that we put b/g in,sec told customer to come get.Left within 30 min.,said he was smoking so rolled down window at 60 mph. Guess what happened?He paid for a second glass with help from b/s.We can advise,and write but cant babysit.As long as invoice is doc. and we make all notice thats all we can do.

not to mention the testing is only done at 35mph. Most people drive faster than that. Seems they need charts for speeds too!
I agree it should all be in writing and signed by both parties. Joy more paperwork!

KT,
YEAH, 35 MPH INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER THE SIZE OF A HOUSE WHICH DOES SIMULATE A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR AT 60 OR 70 MPH. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY THEY CRASH TEST AT 35 MPH...

We do it all in writing and the customer signs the work order acknowlegeing it. If it's in the shop, we simply don't give back the keys until it's road ready.

THE ONLY MOBILE WORK WE DO ARE ON FLEETS. THE VEHICLE SITS ALL NIGHT TILL THE NEXT MORNING WHEN DRIVER MAKES DELIVERIES. MOST OF THE TIME THE DRIVER IS OFF NEXT DAY. WE DO NOT DO MOBILE OTHER THAN THAT. AND ALL OUR REPLACEMENTS SIT HERE AT LEAST 4 HRS. MOST OF THE TIME LONGER. WE STRESS SDA TIME. PLUS THE OWNER IS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THEY NOW HE KNOW'S WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. WE STILL PUT A NOTICE IN THEIR VEHICLE ANYWAY.