Articles / Vehicle Glass

Can I drive with a cracked windscreen?

20 December 2024

Can I drive with a cracked windscreen?

Windscreen chips are an unfortunate part of driving on Australia’s roads, and all too often they can lead to a windscreen crack.

Due to the persistent onslaught of weather events, coupled with the daily wear and tear from passing traffic, bitumen roads across the country steadily deteriorate, meaning small stones and debris are lying in wait. These little rocks pose a significant risk to your vehicle’s windscreen by potentially causing windscreen chips and ultimately also windscreen cracks.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a chip turn into a crack in your windscreen… do you know if you can continue to drive with a cracked windscreen or not?

In this article, we’ll help you find the answer and walk you through the steps to take in the event of a windscreen crack.

 

The difference between a chip and a crack.

This seems obvious, but it’s good to know whether your windscreen damage is a chip or a crack.

A windscreen chip is a localised form of damage to the glass typically caused by the impact of a small rock or debris.  A chip can range in size and shape and generally doesn’t go beyond the first layer of glass. Whereas a windscreen crack is a more substantial and lengthier break in your glass that can happen instantly or develop over time.  You can’t miss a windscreen crack! One challenge with cracks is that once formed, they can also extend into larger damage, sometimes while you’re driving, and this can be unexpected and even impair visibility.

 

More about your windscreen glass

Your front windscreen is made of laminated safety glass. This type of “safety” glass is designed to respond to excessive amounts of force and break in a way that is ‘safe’, due to having an interlayer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) that is fused together between two sheets of glass. This flexible clear interlayer is extremely strong and will hold the glass together on impact, rather than shatter. A crack usually occurs in the top layer of glass, and not affecting the bottom layer of glass, which is protected by the strong interlayer.

By design, your windscreen, if it cracks, will not shatter or fall in on the car’s occupants.

 

So, what causes a crack?

Often, it starts with a chipped windscreen, which may seem like a mild problem in the short term.  However, there is always the chance of the chip potentially turning into a large crack.

Your windscreen is a tough piece of vital glass in your vehicle, but when damaged by a chip (e.g. from a stone), it sometimes doesn’t take much for that chip to expand and crack.

Factors that can cause a chip to crack include:

  • hail and storms,
  • bumpy roads/terrain and vibrations,
  • sudden temperature changes,
  • putting pressure on the windscreen, and
  • direct impact of any kind.

If this happens, the whole windscreen may need to be replaced at a higher cost, so it’s best to get on top of things. In fact, even if the damage remains as a chip but exceeds the following sizes, our technicians will need to replace the windscreen:

  • Larger than a 5c coin (on the driver’s side and in the driver’s critical vision area)
  • Larger than a $1 coin (on the passenger side or middle)
  • Less than 5cm away from any edge of the windscreen.

Note the Australian Standard sets out a lot more rules for when a chip should not be repaired, such as proximity to previous repairs, maximum repairs in areas of the windscreen, and smaller sizes of chips of certain shapes, as well as when the chip damages both sides of the glass plus a few other things. Our expert technicians can advise you if your chip can be repaired once they’ve assessed the damage.

What happens if your windscreen cracks while you are driving (which, let’s face it, almost always happens)?  What do you do then?

 

My windscreen just cracked – can I still drive?

Apart from the inconvenience and extra cost, getting a crack in your windscreen will not mean you have to stop driving your car necessarily.

Every windscreen crack is different, no one is the same.  They can be across the whole screen or just a section.

The most important thing to remember is that your windscreen is designed to crack and remain in place (and not fall in or out).  So, if the crack/damage doesn’t interfere and obscure your visibility while driving (that is, the crack is directly in front of the driver’s critical vision area), and you feel safe to drive, you can still drive your car.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • If your car has Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (referred to as ADAS), the forward-facing camera that is part of the ADAS system may be affected by the crack, especially if it is at the top of the windscreen. So, it may not be safe to rely on your car’s ADAS features until you get the windscreen replaced and your car’s forward-facing ADAS cameras recalibrated.
  • Each State in Australia is governed by road rules, which determine when you are permitted to drive with a cracked windscreen. You should be aware that in some States, police can issue fines for cracked windscreens, so it is best to fix your windscreen as soon as possible.

 

Steps to take to fix a crack in your windscreen.

As mentioned above, cracks happen! Here’s what to do if you get one in your windscreen.

1. Assess the damage

If the crack has happened while driving on a road trip, and you feel safe to drive, and the crack is not obscuring the driver’s vision in any way, you can still drive your vehicle.

We recommend stopping at a safe and secure location, to fully assess the damage on the windscreen and the rest of the vehicle before continuing. If you don’t feel you can drive your car safely with the cracked windscreen, our mobile windscreen service may be able to get to you.

2. Call O'Brien

Call O'Brien  (we’re available 24/7) to discuss your options with our friendly team member. Whether you have insurance or not, our experts can help arrange your replacement glass for you, including kicking off the claims process if required.

With over 60+ service centres nationally, plus a network of expert Authorised Dealers as well, we can help arrange a booking at the location nearest to you or even opt for our mobile service (for select replacements).

We will do our very best to get you a booking as soon as possible. However, there are times when your preferred glass is not available immediately, or there is not a suitable slot available until a bit later. Know that we’ll endeavour to get your repair done as promptly as possible, but if there is a delay for whatever reason, like your windscreen glass needs to be ordered, be assured that provided it does not obscure the driver’s vision you can drive with a crack in your windscreen until it can be replaced, subject to State rules and regulations.

 

Got a crack in your windscreen, we’re your local experts.

Call O'Brien® AutoGlass today to help with replacing your cracked windscreen.

A cracked windscreen is always unexpected and usually frustrating, but with O'Brien®, we make the replacement process easy for you and worry-free.

Our skilled technicians can replace your windscreen in around 90 minutes, or if your car has ADAS, we can usually complete the replacement and recalibration within a day. Call 1800 059 829 today to speak to our friendly O'Brien® experts for help with your windscreen damage.

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