What To Do If You Get A Cracked Windshield

4 March 2018
 Categories: , Blog

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Imagine this: you're driving down the freeway, minding your own business, when a semi truck in front of you suddenly kicks up a large piece of gravel in a construction zone. The gravel hits your car's windshield and cracks it. Hopefully, you'll never be in this situation, but if you are, it's important that you know the next steps to take.

Pull Over if Your View is Obstructed

If the windshield crack occurs in an area of your windshield that significantly obstructs your view, you'll need to pull off the road as soon as it is safe to do so. You should never drive when your view of the road is obstructed, as this puts your safety and the safety of other motorists at risk. Once you get safely pulled off to the side of the road, you'll want to either call a mobile auto glass repair service or a tow truck to transport your car to a local auto glass shop.

Refrain From Driving Until Repaired 

Even if your view isn't obstructed by the crack/chip in your auto glass, you'll want to minimize your driving as much as possible until the glass can be repaired. Continuing to drive with cracked auto glass can cause the damage to quickly worsen, especially as you drive over bumps and potholes. Changes in temperature can also cause the crack in your windshield to grow and spread, so try parking your car inside your garage or in another covered area for protection until you get a repair scheduled.

File a Claim With Your Auto Insurance

If you have comprehensive auto insurance coverage, there's a good chance that your auto glass repair or replacement will be covered at no cost to you (aside from maybe your deductible). Therefore, you'll want to give your auto insurance agent a call to file a claim as soon as possible before your repair is completed. In some cases, your insurance agent may even be able to schedule a mobile repair on your behalf, so you don't need to deal with the hassle of bringing your car into a local auto glass repair shop!

Dealing with auto glass damage can be a hassle, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. Even if your entire windshield needs replace, an experienced auto glass repair technician should be able to have the job done in as little as an hour.