What is a heads-up display?
A heads-up or head-up display (HUD) projects images on the windshield and does not require the driver to look away from the road, because the display is transparent. An HUD is a technology add-on for your car, displaying the same information you could get form your dashboard, to help keep your focus forward and on the road.
This type of system was originally developed for and used for military aircraft to display necessary data for flight, but can now be found in modern vehicles.
Does my vehicle have a heads-up display or HUD?
If it is not immediately apparent that there are images projected into the windshield when looking straight ahead from the driver’s seat, then you may have to check your user manual. These images may appear in the windshield glass or projected in augmented reality using the curvature of the windshield glass.
When you're purchasing a new vehicle, chances are you've been pitched on the idea of adding a heads-up display. If you don't have the HUD projecting on your windshield, the good news is that there's an app for that. With the variety of apps, place your phone facing upwards on the dashboard, and through the phone's GPS, you can display all information.
What are the benefits of having a heads-up display?
A heads-up display is safe, smart, and revolutionizing. With the amount of distractions on the road, utilizing this form of augmented reality to have speed and approaching turns display on your windshield helps maintain your focus.
The main benefit of having a HUD in your vehicle is not having to take your eyes off the road when driving to get necessary information about your driving and the vehicle. Some displays also include speedometers to inform how fast the vehicle is going, navigational indicators, and tachometers. These types of systems are connected to the in-vehicle computers, much like rain sensors.
Any time you take your eyes off the road, no matter how brief, increases your chances of an accident. However, there are certain things you should monitor when driving like your speed and how hard you are pushing the engine. That's the impact of heads-up display on your car windshield.
Heads-up display and replacement
While the HUD on your car provides a number of benefits, you could still be facing a broken or cracked windshield that needs replacement. Because the heads-up display is typically projected into the windshield, you will need to inform whoever is replacing your windshield if you had a heads-up display previously so that it can be properly re-installed.
With a heads-up display, you're looking at an entirely polarized windshield. Replacing an HUD windshield is more expensive than a typical replacement project. Our technicians work with many major insurance carriers to ensure the lowest cost for your replacement. Schedule an appointment with Safelite and get yourself back on the road.