is it me, or does the driver side windshield wiper always wear out first for everybody?

[KG]

oy.

[PeaceNikki]

1. It's true.

[bluedigger]

2. Not if you spend a lot of time in reverse.

[HopeHoops]

3. That's because you look through that side of the windshield the most.

In countries that drive on the other side of the road, the right windshield wiper wears out first.

[elocs]

4. I thought that very same thing just this afternoon, driving in the snow.

Passenger's side works perfectly though.

[flying_wahini]

5. and it's always Directly at eye level with the road, isn't it?

n/t

[david13]

6. So switch it with the other blade and stop complaining. dc

[petronius]

7. That would work, except some of us have different-sized blades - it's a massive

conspiracy of the auto-wiperblade industrial complex.

Of course, they also don't seem to sell only one blade, so if I need to replace my full set I have to buy three 2-packs (and you know they're banking on me losing the second blade before the next replacement time)...

[flying rabbit]

8. Glad I wasn't the only one this happened to.

[Bucky]

9. It has to do with the slight curvature of the window from where the blade arcs out at maximum torque

Actually, I just made that up.

[Bucky]

10. PS, someone should totally call this question into Tom & Ray on Saturday

Or maybe we all should.

[quakerboy]

11. Also, the defrost always works better on the passenger side.

[necso]

12. In some cases, this may have to do

with the greater length of the driver's-side wiper-blade.

The previous time I replaced my wiper-arms (upper-arms; this just a few years ago, they don't seem to last as long as before, and the generic blade replacements I tried were a nearly-immediate failure and waste), I bought two of the smaller size for cost/availability reasons (this worked fine, although it decreased the driver's-side wiper-coverage-area slightly).

This fall, I noticed the driver's-side blade was crumbling, so I thought to replace it with the passenger's-side blade (arm; and disable that side). But when I examined the passenger's-side blade, it crumbled in my hand. (In the event, I bought two arms of the correct size for 3 dollars each from the automotive-service counter at Monopoly-Mart... being driven by necessity.) Of course, it was probably the sun, not usage (wear), that was the major aging-factor in my case (I drive very little, and try to entirely avoid driving in wet weather, even fog or mist), so this experience isn't relevant to the case of wear (or wiper-blades other than low-end).

[Maine-ah]

13. lol, driving home in the snow the other night my wiper died.

The screw is stripped....of course only on the drivers side.

[SanddancerUSA]

14. Drive with one eye closed, that'll save wear and tear.

I find squinting just as good.

[Bertha Venation]

15. Yeah. It's the heat from eyeballs, breaking down the rubber.

Really.