Driving with a cracked windscreen is frustrating and a nightmare to many car owners. Despite making your vehicle ugly, a cracked windshield compromises your and your vehicle’s safety. Maneuvering around with a broken windscreen, therefore, increases your life risks by 50%.
Remember, a cracked or damaged windscreen can collapse on collision, even after polishing or glueing the glass to the place. The roof can also collapse unexpectedly if the windshield was not installed correctly. This article will therefore try to enlighten you about the risks of driving with a cracked windshield.
What happens if you don’t fix a cracked windshield?
Experts recommend fixing the issue as soon as possible before it worsens. This will lead to negative consequences like accidents, serious injury, sunlight glare, or death. As you can see, a windscreen is a significant vehicle that protects the indweller from wind or rollover accidents.
Continuous drive with a cracked windshield is associated with various risks like:
You will be fined
Ignoring a cracked or chipped windshield can land you in a costly traffic ticket or citation. Buying the ticket or quotation may be more expensive compared to a windshield replacement cost. If you love it, then you are free to drive with a cracked windshield.
For example, in some countries like the US and Canada, driving with a critically damaged windshield is an offensive that if not careful, you can be arraigned in the court and charged appropriately. Going on a highway is always not permitted until you get the cracked car glass fixed.
If you neglect the windscreen status and find yourself on a highway, expect a traffic ticket or citation. Why don’t you opt for a repair for blemishes or cracks on your car windshield? The traffic police will force your vehicle out from the road.
Clear visibility will be compromised while driving
With a cracked windscreen, it’s hard to have a clear vision of where you are heading. You will be straining, moving your head from left to right, up and down to get a better vision. This is hectic as you can end causing accidents and at the end of the journey, you will be tired.
Therefore, if you delay fixing a cracked windscreen, the vision will automatically turn to a distraction. You will struggle to drive during the deer mating season; spotting a deer crossing the road will be strenuous. This doesn’t only mean a deer, but also a pedestrian may cross the road suddenly without you noticing. So, a cracked windscreen compromises your vision, leading to an accident.
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The broken windscreen can cost you more money as well as accidents
Sometimes when a windscreen is slightly cracked, you are safe to go for a long journey. However, if the windshield chip is heavily broken, replacement becomes a suitable solution to such issues.
You will spend a lot of money on a replacement based on the car model you’re using; nothing comes for free. For this reason, it’s possible to repair the windshield’s chip right from your home. What you only require is a reliable windscreen repair kit like Parmatex 09103 Windshield repair kit.
The permatex repair kit is a top recommended option that holds the cracked windshield glass tightly. The kit makes bulls eyes not less than 1.25 inches, which can be achieved within a matter of time. It comes as a complete kit, carrying everything you require for the repair.
For those who don’t understand how to use it, the manufacturer equips the repair kit with a handy instruction guide plus photographs. During the repair, it’s advisable to do so under the shade—a place with temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 degrees F Resin. Remember, the repair process is cured by natural sunlight. I don’t know why you’re still holding doubts about this permanent air-tight repair.
Has your cracked windscreen fixed by an expert from your favourite automotive? Some of the key features in this Parmatex Repair Kit are:
- Top-trending repair kit on the market
- Features an instruction guide plus photographs
- Recovers up to 1.25 on the windscreen
A broken screen can throw you out of the car
Here is another danger of driving with a cracked windshield. Operating with such a windshield increases the chances of throwing it out of the vehicle. You need to understand that a windscreen is much prone to destruction from outside or inside push.
You will therefore be thrown out of the car when you engage in a critical accident. The windscreen will never protect you because it is already broken; it’s weakened. You should therefore try to press the windshield from inside using your thumb and see if it breaks easily. After doing so, you have a right to make a sound decision.
Airbags may not support or work properly
Airbags remain essential for an indweller like a driver and passengers. When your vehicles engage in a collision, the airbags will deploy to reduce the impact, saving all of you from injuries and whiplash. The airbags will then expand on your windshield.
A damaged windscreen won’t withstand the force of such an inflating airbag. Your cracked windshield will therefore break completely, allowing the airbag to penetrate outside. Such occasions, thus, put us at risk like severe injuries or death.
Small chips and cracks tend to get worse
Like any part of your vehicle, windscreen damage will get worse over time. So, it’s advisable to get your vehicle’s glass fixed before worsening the situation. Drive slowly to your favourite automotive shop and seek the help of an expert. If the shop is far from you, I suggest you look for the nearest one and have the experienced glass doctor do it for you.
Cracks tend to start as single and tiny marks advance to a large gap; the problem is grown. Fixing small chips and dings in your car’s windshield doesn’t consume a lot of effort, reducing the labour costs required in the entire process. Remember, you can easily and quickly handle tiny chips; you won’t spend much of your time on them.
The Insurance Body may refuse to cover your vehicle’s entire repair
This is another blow that you might face from driving with a broken windshield. Even though insurance companies are responsible for covering for the damaged windscreen, sometimes they might not fully pay the charges for repair or replacement. This implies that your pocket will not be safe; you will have to pay some percentage of money during the window replacement or repair.
It’s, therefore, better to assign an experienced window repair lad to have your cracked windshield fixed. Do so immediately before it dries your pocket during the entire replacement.
You and your vehicle are a liability
When you are not the only fellow who operates the vehicle, the chances are that the newbies might wrongly handle the car. Allowing other drivers or passengers to use the vehicle, you owe the car to them, ensuring it is safe as much as possible.
This implies that you must hand over the vehicle when it has no problem, like a damaged windshield. Allow an expert to thoroughly inspect your car, ensuring all the windows are in good working condition. That’s when the vehicle is safe to manoeuvre on your road.
Frequently asked questions:
- Can the traffic police stop you because of a broken windshield?
Yes, like several USA states and Canadian provinces, your state must be having specific rules to stop a broken windscreen or windshield. It’s therefore advisable to understand the law enforcement within your city or state.
However, sometimes these police departments don’t stop you from a broken car windscreen and give your citation based on your location, accident, and vehicle size. But, you will be warned by the police and will repair the compromised vision soon.
- Can I sell my vehicle with a cracked windshield?
Yes, it’s possible as long as you agree with the buyer about the replacement or repair cost. He/she will then subtract the amount of money from the whole car price and set it aside for windscreen replacement or repair. Whoever is buying the vehicle should understand the damaged glass, cracked windshield, accident types, etc.
- How much can I spend on windshield replacement?
Replacing a car windscreen comes with varying costs based on the type of vehicle you are using. However, the job can be estimated at $350 to $1500 based on the glass type, damage, labour, among other parameters. However, some modern and collectable cars might not cost more.
Final words
I don’t encourage driving with a cracked windshield because it’s not considered as safe. In most developed countries like the UK, the US, and Canada, it’s not allowed to move around with a broken car windscreen. If found, you will get a traffic police citation or ticket. There are a lot of risks associated with this negligence, and the major one is compromised vision.
You will struggle to see where you’re heading. It’s therefore advisable to work on the damaged windshield on the spot. Hopefully, the above discussion helps you understand how integral the part is windscreen of on your car.
for more info you might watch this youtube video below: