What to Do If the Wiper Suddenly Fails on the Highway?
3 Answers
It is recommended to turn on the front and rear fog lights and hazard lights first, then pull over to the emergency lane and call the traffic police. The function of wipers: The wiper is used to remove rain, snow, or dust from the windshield to ensure good visibility for the driver. Replacement time for wipers: Wipers are a kind of consumable in automotive supplies and are not meant for lifelong use. Generally, it is recommended to replace all wipers on the car every one to two years. If the effectiveness of the wipers significantly decreases, it is advisable to replace them immediately. Once the wipers do not work smoothly on rainy days, it is extremely easy to cause accidents.
Yesterday while driving on the highway during heavy rain, the windshield wipers suddenly stopped working, leaving the entire front windshield completely blurred. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I immediately turned on the hazard lights to alert vehicles behind me, gradually slowed down, and pulled over to the emergency lane. Never attempt to continue driving—poor visibility in rain and fog can easily lead to accidents. If it's light rain, try spraying windshield washer fluid to clean it and buy some time; in heavy rain, the only option is to pull over. After stopping, quickly set up the triangular warning sign and move to a safe spot behind the guardrail to wait for assistance or call a tow truck. There are many reasons for wiper failure, such as a burnt-out wiper motor, a blown fuse, or rusted linkage getting stuck. A mechanic told me regular maintenance is crucial—inspect the wiper blades periodically and don’t wait until problems arise.
It's extremely dangerous when the wipers suddenly fail on the highway, something I experienced during a lightning storm. First, stay calm and don't panic, immediately reduce speed to below 60 km/h, as sudden braking on the highway increases the risk of rear-end collisions. Turn on the hazard lights and move to the roadside to stop. If the rain lightens up, briefly clean the windshield using the wiper fluid function. After safely parking, check the cause: it could be a broken wiper linkage, an overheated motor failure, or a blown fuse. A quick fix is to check the car manual in the trunk for the fuse box location and see if you can replace it with a spare fuse. However, this is only a temporary solution. In the long run, you need to visit a repair shop for a thorough inspection—don't compromise safety to save money.
