Cracked car windscreens - UK

[Paul_B]

We've had something hit the windscreen on the motorway. The crack formed spread quickly to several inches long. Then during the afternoon it cracked further until it's goes top to bottom of the windscreen.

It's a seat brand with rain sensors. I assume it's a replacement job. That leads me to ask whether it's worth avoiding the insurers? We're fully comp with £70 excess on windscreens. They insist on going through their accident/windscreen replacement company or they won't cover the cost. Is this likely to be right?

The thing is we need the car but they can't fit us in to get it sorted until the weekend. One company will do Thursday but at a £300+ cost,

What's your advise on this? How safe is this cracked windscreen? Will it mean we're off the road until sorted?

 

[rorymax]

Windscreen replacement should not affect your no claims bonus, but check the policy.

The windscreen will be laminated, it won't suddenly shatter and disintegrate, I would have no qualms about driving it as is until the weekend.

 

[Leshy]

That's about right, id go with insurance windscreen cover, job done right and cheap (ish) .
Agree with Rory , screen will be fine till the weekend ..

 

[Janne]

It is laminated, so you are safe. For peace of mind, you can always run a see through strip over the crack, lengthwise.

Is the rain sensor on the back of the interior mirror?

 

[redbranchwarrior]

Whereabouts on the windscreen is it cracked, do you have any pics?

Depending on where it is, you could be tugged and processed for dangerous condition

 

[santaman2000]

Whereabouts on the windscreen is it cracked, do you have any pics?

Depending on where it is, you could be tugged and processed for dangerous condition

I was thinking the same thing. As others have said, laminated glass isn't likely to give way, but it's hard to imagine a "top to bottom" crack not impairing vision.

 

[wingstoo]

If it is in the wipe of the blades it would be an MOT failure as it is unroadworthy... So it might be classed as dangerous if the police stopped you.

Usually all you pay is the windscreen excess, that varies from company to company.

Windscreens don't affect your insurance premiums however many times you claim, I had my old 110 landrover screen replaced twice in a week... That was seriously annoying...

 

[Janne]

Front Defender screens are a scratch magnet for some reason, and the upright position catches everything.

I had to replace the windscreen in my Bristol when I restored it.

None available, but a company could make a new form from the old screen.

Luckily the classic car insurance covered a cracked screen. Until today, I am not sure how a rusty bolt could have hit the middle of the screen.....

Here on Island, our insurances do not cover windscreens.
Every time I take my garage queen out I sweat....

 

[Paul_B]

Where is the crack? Well the object hit in the middle of the windscreen about 2 inch from the bottom, but that's not where it stopped. A nice spider or star shape around the strike point. Then a few cracks went for a stretch around the windscreen. One took a nice curvy path to one side then decided to go back and stopped at the top. Another took a curvy path along the bottom to one side, another went the other way. And one more is getting a bit longer straight up. All these travelling cracks happened when the car was parked up all day. It's amazing just how the glass cracked.

What's annoying to me is how we got sent to autoglass and were told they'd not pay out if we used anyone else. Add that to the fact they can't fix until Saturday. You see the ad on tv putting it across that they're a kind of emergency service for damaged windscreens in the same way that RAC and AA are for broken down to cars. They're nothing of the sort. I think their ads are false advertising.

Whilst nothing bad would have happened while my partner drove home she could easily have been stopped due to the spread of the cracks. IMHO the insurer should shop around on our behalf to get it fixed sooner. It's not a minor issue if you don't want to drive with a non-conforming windscreen. We cannot drive it without laying ourselves open to sanction. Whatever that sanction could be I don't know but it's not what I want to risk. So we're taking other means to get to work, take our kid to get nursery and getting around generally. Then we have to wait in almost all Saturday since it's "booked in" for 10am to 3pm. That's not really booking anything, it's nearly a full working day.

 

[Janne]

Today the windscreen is an integral part of the stiff box, and contributes to the stiffness. Hence the spreading cracks.
Do not think Insurance companies have you and your life as a priority. I deal with 7 different worldwide Insurance companies on a daily basis, and you as a customer is quite far down their list....

 

[wingstoo]

If you have it booked in for repairs then the police would probably send you on your way with a producer to show it has been done...

Is it just the outer glass broken/cracked or has it gone through the laminate sheet and damaged the inner glass?

Sadly not all depots would carry every windscreen and it will be a case of them finding one and getting it delivered to your area.

The insurance companies tend to use certain providers to keep the costs down for their customers, if they use a specific trader they can negotiate a better price, same as with so many other aspects of our lives...

 

[dewi]

I had my windscreen cracked by some helpful youths in Salford... they must have mistaken my vehicle for a target because they threw a couple of bricks at it.

Anyway, insurance wise I paid the excess, but it didn't effect my insurance. I did get pulled by PC Plod on my way home and they were less than polite, despite me telling them that the windscreen company were meeting me at my house to replace the windscreen. In fact, I'd go as far to say as they were aggressive and rude, because they were.

Bad enough to be victim of crime, but then to be given down the banks when it was costing me £50 for something some youngsters did as sport... it was a bit depressing.

Short version, don't drive with a broken windscreen, you'll get hassle. Much easier to ring the insurers and get it sorted.

 

[santaman2000]

I think I like Florida better. I pick the glass shop (and most of them will send a truck to change it wherever I want instead of me taking the truck or car to them) No deductibles so $0 out of pocket expense. Of course that's contingent on having full cover vs the minimum required liability.

 

[redbranchwarrior]

Where is the crack? Well the object hit in the middle of the windscreen about 2 inch from the bottom, but that's not where it stopped. A nice spider or star shape around the strike point. Then a few cracks went for a stretch around the windscreen. One took a nice curvy path to one side then decided to go back and stopped at the top. Another took a curvy path along the bottom to one side, another went the other way. And one more is getting a bit longer straight up. All these travelling cracks happened when the car was parked up all day. It's amazing just how the glass cracked.

Paul, based on your desciption it sounds like the car isn't roadworthy at present. I'd push the insurance company to get a quicker fix or offer you a courtesy car to use pending the repair, the same as they would if you'd been in an RT.....

 

[redbranchwarrior]

If you have it booked in for repairs then the police would probably send you on your way with a producer to show it has been done...

If the vehicle is deemed to be in "dangerous condition" then they will not let it go, repairs organised or not. Sanctions start at 3 points and a fine, and could run to being summonsed to court or being arrested (of they cannot verify name and address at the roadside

 

[HillBill]

Happened to us too last weekend. £160 if we paid for it, £100 if we just paid excess. It doesn't affect our insurance prices in the future. They're common place and the fault of no one.

 

[Tonyuk]

You could always phone up autoglass etc.. for a quote, but i doubt it would be less than £70. I would just drive it, unless its a large crack the plod are unlikely to bother, i drove about for a few months with a cracked screen until the MOT was due, no issues whatsoever, even with a "routine stop" carried out. If however the crack is the complete length or height of the screen, the strength given is compromised, so be careful.

Tonyuk

 

[Big G]

Gone are the days when you could call in your local scrap yard.. pick one up for a tenner. And fit it yourself with a length of strong string & a few squirts of washing up liquid

 

[ph5172]

I recently had the same, the crack wasn't as big as you describe.
Weeks wait as well - i was told this was to facilitate the delivery of the screen from the warehouse to the local center for the mobile guy to collect.

The insurance company said the screen wont just shatter and fall in, and i was ok to drive it as long as it did not obscure my vision.

They also gave me the repair reference should i be stopped.

 

[Tom___]

Hey Paul, I used to work for Autoglass and National windscreens. Your best option would be to call you're insurers recommended firm (Autoglass), book it in for a replacement and just pay the windscreen excess. The windscreen is divided into zones A,B,C,D and if the crack is on the passenger side out of direct view, you'll be fine. The reason for wide booking times is because all screens can vary greatly on how long they take to fit....some could be 5 min, others 3 hours the fitters just don't know till they get to the job. Plus the fact that many screens could fit many different models of cars but the rain sensors could be different shapes. Safety wise, the screen is made from 2 sheets of glass with a very strong plastic in between, so if only the outside sheet is cracked it wouldn't be of great concern. Once booked in, the plod should be ok if you are stopped. Hope this helps..
Tom