Cracked screen - legality of driving pre-replacement?
Discussion
Got a stone chip I never noticed (right by the scuttle panel) which has developed into a nice big crack (at which point I noticed it):
Booked it straight in for replacement via the insurer but the earliest appointment with their repairer (Autoglass) is Friday. I've done all I can to get it sorted asap but obviously need to use the car this week. Am I on dodgy ground legally with a crack like this (it's actually a little bigger now and swings left toward the nearside). It isn't obscuring any of the screen on the driver side.
Booked it straight in for replacement via the insurer but the earliest appointment with their repairer (Autoglass) is Friday. I've done all I can to get it sorted asap but obviously need to use the car this week. Am I on dodgy ground legally with a crack like this (it's actually a little bigger now and swings left toward the nearside). It isn't obscuring any of the screen on the driver side.
Legal or not, I don't think the plod would pull you up unless they were looking to add it on when they pull you for other reasons. I see cars on the motorway all the time with huge cracks in the screens. Must be a good 1 per week. They don't seem bothered driving with it there. There are enough drivers around with failed bulbs on their vehicle that never get pulled.
I personally would, but take your own risks with this one. (I can't actually see the pictures but have driven with an approx 1 foot long crack in a screen before for a few days prior to replacement).
I personally would, but take your own risks with this one. (I can't actually see the pictures but have driven with an approx 1 foot long crack in a screen before for a few days prior to replacement).
journeymanpro said:
Comment removed.
Jesus wept ,he asked a reasonable question.if you get stopped ,show them the booking ,if you can ,for the replacement.
My car has had a crack for 3 years ,not in the wiper swept area ,so doesn't fail MOT either.
ETA
Quote edited.
Edited by Big Al. on Saturday 29th June 13:42
One thing to be careful of in the heat is which way you park, or put a heat shield over the screen.
I had a 1999 Renault Clio (so screens may not have been as great then) that I'd left foolishly parked straing to the mid afternoon sun in June, dead hot sunny day. Was sat out side with BIL when we heard the "CRACK" as the 4" crack on the screen went fully up and down the screen. We wandered over to the car to confirm our thoughts and watched with much amazement as a number of smaller cracks started spreading slowly as well.
"Well, that's f
kered" said BIL "You getting a new screen?"
At that point the screen "laminated cracked" i.e. all went into a maze of crack with an interesting noise. "Oh, you are now" smirked BIL, at that point a coachbuilders shop in spare units in his farm. How lucky for me.
I had a 1999 Renault Clio (so screens may not have been as great then) that I'd left foolishly parked straing to the mid afternoon sun in June, dead hot sunny day. Was sat out side with BIL when we heard the "CRACK" as the 4" crack on the screen went fully up and down the screen. We wandered over to the car to confirm our thoughts and watched with much amazement as a number of smaller cracks started spreading slowly as well.
"Well, that's f
kered" said BIL "You getting a new screen?"At that point the screen "laminated cracked" i.e. all went into a maze of crack with an interesting noise. "Oh, you are now" smirked BIL, at that point a coachbuilders shop in spare units in his farm. How lucky for me.
StanleyT said:
One thing to be careful of in the heat is which way you park, or put a heat shield over the screen.
I had a 1999 Renault Clio (so screens may not have been as great then) that I'd left foolishly parked straing to the mid afternoon sun in June, dead hot sunny day. Was sat out side with BIL when we heard the "CRACK" as the 4" crack on the screen went fully up and down the screen. We wandered over to the car to confirm our thoughts and watched with much amazement as a number of smaller cracks started spreading slowly as well.
"Well, that's fkered" said BIL "You getting a new screen?"
At that point the screen "laminated cracked" i.e. all went into a maze of crack with an interesting noise. "Oh, you are now" smirked BIL, at that point a coachbuilders shop in spare units in his farm. How lucky for me.
Hilarious. How come this never happened to any cars driven by anyone I know when I lived in Malta, where the summer temperatures are regularly in the high 20s/low 30s for weeks on end?I had a 1999 Renault Clio (so screens may not have been as great then) that I'd left foolishly parked straing to the mid afternoon sun in June, dead hot sunny day. Was sat out side with BIL when we heard the "CRACK" as the 4" crack on the screen went fully up and down the screen. We wandered over to the car to confirm our thoughts and watched with much amazement as a number of smaller cracks started spreading slowly as well.
"Well, that's f
kered" said BIL "You getting a new screen?"At that point the screen "laminated cracked" i.e. all went into a maze of crack with an interesting noise. "Oh, you are now" smirked BIL, at that point a coachbuilders shop in spare units in his farm. How lucky for me.
Pothole said:
StanleyT said:
One thing to be careful of in the heat is which way you park, or put a heat shield over the screen.
I had a 1999 Renault Clio (so screens may not have been as great then) that I'd left foolishly parked straing to the mid afternoon sun in June, dead hot sunny day. Was sat out side with BIL when we heard the "CRACK" as the 4" crack on the screen went fully up and down the screen. We wandered over to the car to confirm our thoughts and watched with much amazement as a number of smaller cracks started spreading slowly as well.
"Well, that's fkered" said BIL "You getting a new screen?"
At that point the screen "laminated cracked" i.e. all went into a maze of crack with an interesting noise. "Oh, you are now" smirked BIL, at that point a coachbuilders shop in spare units in his farm. How lucky for me.
Hilarious. How come this never happened to any cars driven by anyone I know when I lived in Malta, where the summer temperatures are regularly in the high 20s/low 30s for weeks on end?I had a 1999 Renault Clio (so screens may not have been as great then) that I'd left foolishly parked straing to the mid afternoon sun in June, dead hot sunny day. Was sat out side with BIL when we heard the "CRACK" as the 4" crack on the screen went fully up and down the screen. We wandered over to the car to confirm our thoughts and watched with much amazement as a number of smaller cracks started spreading slowly as well.
"Well, that's f
kered" said BIL "You getting a new screen?"At that point the screen "laminated cracked" i.e. all went into a maze of crack with an interesting noise. "Oh, you are now" smirked BIL, at that point a coachbuilders shop in spare units in his farm. How lucky for me.
Happens to people that pour warm water on frozen windscreens? Perhaps more related to rate of thermal temperature change rather than actual temperature? Car in Q would have been in shade from a dewy Irish night until ginger-people burning early afternoon sun hit it and the cracks expanded. Warm at night in Malta so not as much temperature change?
Noted as a problem by windscreen replacement companies, see point #2, you can google a few more if you wish....
https://www.thewindscreenco.co.uk/news/top-6-reaso...
You've not mistake me for Fermit in your response have you? I'll let you off this time.
StanleyT said:
Ok, perhaps I should have just given the advice to the OP the new windscreen installer did at the time, which was try and avoid direct sunshine on a cracked windscreen, rather than outline the initiating event and the cause and the full consequences in context of the event.
Happens to people that pour warm water on frozen windscreens? Perhaps more related to rate of thermal temperature change rather than actual temperature? Car in Q would have been in shade from a dewy Irish night until ginger-people burning early afternoon sun hit it and the cracks expanded. Warm at night in Malta so not as much temperature change?
Noted as a problem by windscreen replacement companies, see point #2, you can google a few more if you wish....
https://www.thewindscreenco.co.uk/news/top-6-reaso...
You've not mistake me for Fermit in your response have you? I'll let you off this time.
I see the OP's disappeared anyway.Happens to people that pour warm water on frozen windscreens? Perhaps more related to rate of thermal temperature change rather than actual temperature? Car in Q would have been in shade from a dewy Irish night until ginger-people burning early afternoon sun hit it and the cracks expanded. Warm at night in Malta so not as much temperature change?
Noted as a problem by windscreen replacement companies, see point #2, you can google a few more if you wish....
https://www.thewindscreenco.co.uk/news/top-6-reaso...
You've not mistake me for Fermit in your response have you? I'll let you off this time.
You'll be fine.
I picked up a chip last thursday morning on my way into work. Stone flickedu p from the van infront of me on the m40, thw-crack and a little chip with 3 small cracks coming out of it. Damn thought I. Ah well, MOT isn't due until December...
6pm that night, after being parked in the sun all day... those 3 small cracks had gone halfway over the screen on both sides and up to the top. Balls...
It got replaced yesterday, and all week I've been fine, passing cop cars, parked on the street etc. Nothing said or done.
I picked up a chip last thursday morning on my way into work. Stone flickedu p from the van infront of me on the m40, thw-crack and a little chip with 3 small cracks coming out of it. Damn thought I. Ah well, MOT isn't due until December...
6pm that night, after being parked in the sun all day... those 3 small cracks had gone halfway over the screen on both sides and up to the top. Balls...
It got replaced yesterday, and all week I've been fine, passing cop cars, parked on the street etc. Nothing said or done.
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