TRICO is aiming to help garages make the most of spring and summer wiper sales potential with timely advice, wiper diagnostics charts, attractive new display stands, merchandise and special promotions.

The wiper specialist says that many drivers will be visiting garages over the coming months for a pre-holiday vehicle service and this is the perfect time to boost wiper sales. Motorists very rarely check windscreen wipers and yet to be able to see clearly is of the utmost importance. According to TRICO, 90% of all driving decisions are based on visual clues, which serve to underline how important having good and efficient wiper blades is.

Worn wipers produce an uneven wipe, preventing proper contact with the windscreen surface, leading to poor visibility. TRICO offers the following advice on the symptoms to look for that indicate blades need changing:
Streaking: Dry rubber that has hardened and cracked causes this. Tree sap, road tar and other foreign substances on the blade rubber can also cause streaking.

• Chattering: The annoying sound that the blade makes as it passes across the windscreen caused by the permanent set or curve in the blade rubber that some wipers blades develop when they are not being used.
• Worn rubber: General rounding of the wiping edge caused by age,  a sure sign that it’s time to replace the blade.
• Spilt rubber: This is a condition found on blades that are old, or from the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays affecting the rubber.
• Bent refill or wiper frame: This can be caused by the impact of ice scrapers, automatic car washes or vandalism, leading to bent or distorted wiper arms affecting the wiper efficiency.

Sam Robinson, TRICO Product and Brand Manager commented, “General advice from TRICO is that blades should be visually checked on a monthly basis and replaced every six to twelve months. Ensure blades are a suitable length, style and fitment for the vehicle and if the car has traditional style hook wiper arms, consider upgrading to a modern beam blade for improved performance and weather resistance. TRICO has a full range of front and rear wiper blades, available for 99% of cars on the road and these are available at all good accessory shops and garages.”