Wiper blade specialist TRICO is encouraging drivers to prepare for spring paying particular attention to their windscreen and their windscreen wiper blades.

Wiper blades work extra hard over the winter months. In addition to having to deal with rain, and there has certainly been plenty of that this winter, they have to sometimes contend with ice and snow. All of this takes its toll and can affect wiping performance. Spring is the perfect time to check wiper blades and if necessary have them replaced.

According to TRICO, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of windscreen wipers, 90% of all driving decisions are based on visual cues. This means having effective and efficient windscreen wipers is vitally important for road safety. To assist drivers, the company has produced some useful information on the tell-tell signs of worn wipers blades.

When a wiper blade is worn it will produce an uneven wipe preventing proper contact with the windscreen surface leading to poor visibility. Some of the main indicators of this are:

• Streaking: this is caused by dry rubber that has hardened and cracked. Streaking can also be caused by tree sap, road tar and other foreign substances on the blade rubber.
• Chattering:  This is the sound that the blade makes as it passes across the windscreen and can be very annoying.  It is caused by the "permanent set” or "curve” in the blade rubber that some wiper blades develop while they are not being used.
• Worn rubber: General rounding of the wiping edge occurs caused by age and is a sign that it's time to replace the blade.
• Split rubber: This is a condition found on blades that are old, or may be due to 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 wiping efficiency.

TRICO has a comprehensive range of wiper blades, front and rear, available to fit almost all cars available across Europe. These are available from stockist nationwide.