Why You Shouldn’t Drive with Cracked or Broken Auto Glass

Driving is an essential and daily task for most adults. It is important to have a vehicle that fits the standard of safety for you, your loved ones, and the law. One major part of your vehicle is the windshield. It is an integral part of the vehicles structure and its condition is enforced by laws. In this post, Transparency Auto Glass will take you through the dangers of driving with cracked or broken auto glass.

We have all done it at some point. The discovery of a chip that doesn’t really bother us, so we leave it. That chip becomes a crack and we continue to put it to one side. Only when it grows into our view do we consider addressing the issue. Legal or not, driving with cracked or broken glass is dangerous. If necessary, It can be done, as long as it doesn’t hinder your sight or your wiper blade function as set under ‘windshield obstruction regulations’ set by local regulators.

Safety Concerns

• The windshield on your car is important. It is an integral part of the structural support system of the vehicle. Thus, if it is faulty, the condition of the vehicle is compromised.

• If your sight is obscured by a crack, then your ability to operate on the road is affected. You are a danger to your passengers and other road users.

• The structural integrity is reduced. In the case of a collision, a cracked or broken windshield will not protect as well as undamaged glass and may cause further injuries.

• Airbag deployment. Your windshield is a “backstop” for your passenger-side airbag. When deployed the airbag is forced upwards into your windshield at a rate of 150-200mph, protecting the passenger from going head first into the windshield in the event of a collision. If your windshield has any cracks or damages it cannot properly do its job, which can lead to further injuries.

• Passenger ejection. In the event of a major crash, a damaged windshield may break loose, increasing the probability of passengers being ejected from the car.

• In the event of a rollover incident, the structural integrity of the roof can fail and will not hold its shape if the hardened glass is not up to standard.

Why Does Glass Crack?

Glass can crack and break when fitted into moving machinery. The stresses and strains that are held on the glass is immense. Your car manufacturer will have already fitted safety glass as per the law to all vehicles. This means it will just break and hold together, rather then shattering, causing flying glass. Millions of miles are covered by millions of vehicles every day without cracking.

So, what exactly causes auto glass to chip or crack?

• Stones thrown up by other vehicles is the number one cause of cracked or broken windshields. Stones can fly up from under vehicles tires, or even fall off of trucks carrying heavy equipment. There is no avoiding these occasional dangers and your windshield is inevitably the first place they hit.

• Extreme changes in temperature. As with any material, cold to hot and back will deform it. Be mindful of running your hot defrost on a cold morning if your windshield already has damage. This can cause the crack or chip to spread very quickly.

• Impacts from the interior like kicks, wood, or thrown objects can cause cracks to appear.

• This is when the sky throws down ice in the shape of stones or balls. These hit the windshield hard and are known for damaging glass, even if very small.

• Extreme road conditions. If you were to hit a large pothole the structure of the vehicle is severely stressed. If there are any weak points in the chassis then glass can surely break.

How to Repair or Fix Cracked Glass

You can have chips repaired by mobile windshield experts or with DIY packs from a store. Cracks on the other hand, mean eventually changing the entire glass panel. Please consult an expert for specific information. They will talk with you to discuss a viable solution to get you moving again. Remember, chips grow into cracks. Address a chip early, to keep it from becoming a crack.

Your safety and well-being is not something you should take lightly. Any cracks or unstable glass should be high on your list of priorities to get replaced.

At Transparency Auto Glass, we are experts on all aspects of windshield installation, maintenance, and repair. If you have any cracks in your windshield or any broken auto glass, please give us a call today at (919) 793-7776 or fill out our quote form for a free quote.