Cracked windscreen

[sidewinder]

My girlfriend drove to work this morning as normal, but windscreen got hit by a stone en route - massive crack (2 actually). In the lower part of the windscreen on the passengers side. Picture:

 

 

Luckily she works opposite Autoglass so she took it there and they said it's safe to drive and no chance of it shattering?! Was quite surprised. Obviously I will get it sorted but need to talk to insurance, just wondered if it is indeed safe? Also I assume it's not strictly legal to drive around with a massive crack anyway? It is out of the drivers view and very low down

[sonofsanta]

I was told this back in December - apparently a sheet of laminate covers the screen to stop it breaking, and (so I was told) there hasn't been a windscreen shatter in about 40 years. It is unnerving when you can see it slowly growing larger though!

[Dos_Box]

Hopefully her insurance will cover it as most policies allow for a new screen each year. I had some small cracks fixed by Autoglass last summer on my insurance, but I had to pay a whole £15 excess! Unfortunately the cracks that the screen companies can fix are not as big as I think they would like to make out in the ads with a maximum length of (IIRC) about 6cms. After that it's a new screen. No harm in ringing to check though.

[plexer]

My insurance charges £10 excess for repair and £75 excess for replacement.

 

Ben

[synaesthesia]

Guide I was always given was area of a 5p piece for repair, maximum. Get loads of stone chips here especially in the dry months - my old insurer wanted £10 per repair though (Direct Line) so I soon ditched those for someone decent.

[sidewinder]

Not seen it in person yet but judging by the size I don't think it's repairable!

[plexer]

Modern screens are laminated i.e made up of multiple sheets so they hold together.

 

Ben

[Jamman960]

definatly not repairable, based on - MOT Windscreen Repairs | Windscreen Repair Not Replacement - Glass Doctors UK wouldn't get through the MOT

 

I'd guess its not strictly legal but as long as its not in the drivers field of view I doubt you'd have much trouble, I drove around with a crack going along most of the window around 2cm from the bottom for a few months(kept forgetting eek!) without any trouble

[Ketlane]

Same experience - watched the crack grow as I drove along M6 before I could stop safely to check. Insurance covered less the excess. I was foolish enough to ask what the cost would have been had I paid myself - the guy on the phone started saying "seven hund....." before I stopped him and went for the insurance option. In Autoglass I watched a Mercedes driver being quoted £900+ for a non-Mercedes part and a genuine Merc screen into 4 figures. Ouch.

[liamvaughan]

I have had similar in the past, I was lucky enough to find a window screen company as I wasnt insured for this It was going into the £600 range from autoglass, £80 I ended up paying

[michael2k6]

Thast's definately not repairable, it will need to be replaced. It's true though, it won't shatter. It's ilegal if it's in the sweep of the wipers, I think. But even then, there are some rules that say it has to be withing a certain 2/3 of the sweep of the wipers, starting at the drivers side, or something peculiar.

 

Chances are, just get it replaced soon as