The windshield is one of the most important parts of your car when it comes to your safety behind the wheel.
A cracked windshield is the last thing you want because it makes it hard to see. Can you drive your car with a crack in the windshield? Here’s what you need to know to answer this question.
If you have a cracked windshield, you can still drive safely, but it depends on how big the crack is and how far you want to go. A small crack might not bother you for months or years, but bigger cracks are not only dangerous but also against the law because they pose a safety risk on the road.
If your windshield is cracked, the safest thing to do is to get it fixed right away.
This is especially important for bigger cracks that could get worse or cause your windshield to break suddenly and badly while you’re driving.
How Long Can You Drive with a Cracked Windshield?
Once you see a crack in your windshield, no matter how small it is or how big it is and how worried it makes you, auto experts agree that you can’t drive safely with a cracked windshield for a certain amount of time.
If your windshield has a small crack that you don’t think will spread to other parts of the glass and get bigger, you may be able to drive your car for a few months or even longer without any more damage to the windshield.
But if your windshield has a big crack, you might only be able to drive for a few days before you need to get it fixed.
A big crack in your windshield will not only make it harder to see while driving, but it will also make the glass much more fragile. This means that your windshield could break or shatter while you are on the road.
If the crack is big enough to be a safety concern, you may also get pulled over by the police. You could get a ticket for driving an unsafe car in these situations.
If this happens, you will not only have to pay your own money to get your windshield fixed, but you may also get a traffic ticket.
What Happens if You Don’t Fix a Cracked Windshield?
If you don’t fix the problem and keep driving your car with a cracked windshield, you’re putting your safety and the safety of other people in your car at risk for no reason.
Your windshield is much less stable than you think if it has even small cracks, chips, or places where pieces of glass are missing.
If you get into an accident, even a small one, there is a good chance that your windows will break.
Even if the crack starts out small, it might not stay that way for long. When you drive down the road, your windshield is put through a lot more stress than you might think.
Over time, this wears down any flaws in the glass, which usually means that a small crack gets bigger and spreads to other parts of the glass.
Also, a state inspection will fail your car if you keep driving it with a cracked windshield. If this happens, you can’t drive your car legally until the windshield is fixed.
We suggest getting your cracked windshield fixed as soon as possible so that what might start as a small problem doesn’t get worse and cost more.
Is It Illegal to Drive with a Cracked Windshield?
This is a tricky question because different states have different rules about driving with a cracked windshield.
Usually, the police will pull you over if your car has a crack in the windshield that is big enough to block your view when you are driving. Also, if your windshield has cracks that look like spider webs, this is probably also against the law.
Even though state laws may be different, you should remember that there are federal rules about cracks in windshields.
Federal law says that cars can’t have chips or cracks that are bigger than 3/4 inches in diameter. This is a pretty small size.
So, if you have a big crack in your car’s glass, it’s a good idea to get it fixed right away.
If a police officer gives you a ticket for a cracked windshield, you could have to pay more than $100 and get up to three points on your driving record.
In turn, this might make your insurance rates go up. So, just as a small crack in your windshield can get bigger, so can the problems you might face if you drive around with that crack for weeks or longer.
How Bad Does a Crack Have to be to Replace a Windshield?
Most chipped or cracked windshields can be fixed instead of having to be replaced, which will save you a lot of money.
In fact, if your windshield has a crack that is up to 12 inches long, you can probably still get it fixed instead of replaced. This may not always be the case, though. It depends on how bad the damage is, how old your car is, and other things.
Most auto insurance policies will cover the cost of fixing or replacing a cracked windshield. This means that you will pay little or nothing to get your car back in good shape.
But you’ll need full coverage for this to happen, so keep that in mind. Since this is the case, it doesn’t make much sense to drive around with a crack that could endanger your safety, get you a ticket, or break when you least expect it.
If a crack in your car’s windshield is more than 12 inches long, you will have to replace it.
This may take a little longer than getting a simple repair, but at least you know that your insurance company will probably pay for the replacement.
How Much Do New Windshields Cost?
If you have full coverage on your car insurance and your windshield broke because of something that is covered by your policy, the good news is that a new windshield won’t cost you too much.
Most drivers who need a new windshield for their car will find that it costs between $200 and $400, and that their insurance will cover most or all of the cost.
Even though you’ll want to fix your cracked windshield as soon as possible, that doesn’t mean you should take your car to the first auto glass shop you find.
Instead, it’s best to do a little shopping around before making a choice.
The cost of replacing your windshield depends on a lot of things, like the auto glass shop you choose, the type of car you drive, the size of the windshield that needs to be replaced, and even where you live.
Most windshields on both older and newer cars are made to be easy to take off, so repairs are usually seen as not too hard.
This is a big reason why the cost of replacement as a whole is so low, since the job itself doesn’t require much labour.
Most of the time, you can take your car to an auto glass shop, wait up to two hours, and drive away with a new windshield that doesn’t have any cracks.
How Do You Stop A Crack in Your Windshield from Spreading?
When you first see a small crack in your windshield, your main goal may be to stop it from getting bigger and spreading. If so, you can try some things that might help.
As soon as you see the crack, you can try to fix it with super glue or clear nail polish. Many people are surprised to hear that this is a very good way to stop a crack from getting bigger.
Some drivers choose to get a windshield repair kit, which can be bought at almost any hardware store.
If you choose this option, you should know that you will have to drill a small hole in your windshield so you can put resin on the crack. If you’re not sure how to do the repairs, you might want to let a professional do them.
Also, try not to change the temperature of a cracked windshield too quickly, since this can make the crack grow bigger and cause more damage to the glass.
Like many other things, glass gets bigger when it’s warm and gets smaller when it’s cold. To keep the damage from getting worse, try to park your car in the shade and don’t use the defroster until the windshield is fixed.
Why Shouldn’t You Drive with a Cracked Windshield?
Not only does driving around with a cracked windshield make it more likely that it will break while you are driving, but there are other reasons why you shouldn’t do it.
As the crack gets bigger, dirt, water, sand, and other kinds of trash will be able to get into it. Even though it might not seem like a big deal, doing this while driving is very dangerous.
As more and more things get into the crack in your windshield, the light can make it look funny. When this happens, you might be hit by a sudden blinding glare that makes it almost impossible to see in front of you. This could cause a serious accident.
Are Big Trucks Responsible for Cracked Windshields?
If you are driving down the road behind a dump truck, big rig, or other large truck that kicks up gravel that cracks your windshield, it is unlikely that the truck driver or the company for which they work will pay to fix it.
First, they will point to the sign on the back of their truck that tells drivers to stay a certain distance away from the back of the truck.
Also, most state laws say that big trucks aren’t responsible for cracked windshields unless rocks or other objects fall right off the truck and hit your car.
If these trucks kick up gravel or have things fall off of them and land on the road before hitting your car, they are usually not responsible for the damage done to your car.
Even though most people never have to deal with a cracked windshield, anything can happen. If it does, you know everything you need to know about what to do next.
