When a vehicle’s windshield develops a crack, the owner may wonder how long it’s OK to drive around with the glass in this condition. There are several points to consider, but one main one is that a cracked windshield is vulnerable to collapsing if the car ever rolls over. This greatly compromises the safety of the vehicle. When it comes to cracks in a Car Windshield MD residents should not delay too long in having the glass replaced.
Interference With Visibility
One point to consider is whether the crack interferes at all with visibility, which makes driving unsafe as well as against the law. If the crack does not pose this type of a problem, the person will want to find out whether state laws prohibit driving with any windshield flaw beyond a small chip. These laws vary a great deal by state.
Maryland Laws
In regard to a cracked Car Windshield MD laws do not specify when the damage is considered illegal. Police officers have the discretion to stop drivers if they believe a crack disrupts visibility or looks like it may quickly get worse, perhaps cracking into a spiderweb pattern.
Federal Laws
State, local and county police officers also are expected to enforce federal laws regarding damaged windshields. According to federal law, one crack in a windshield cannot intersect another crack. This means a horizontal straight crack toward the bottom or a vertical crack off to one side is acceptable. If they keep expanding until they meet, then the situation is illegal. The windshield should be replaced by a company such as Beltway Auto & Plate Glass.
Spiderweb Cracks, Starburst Cracks and Chips
This also means that any spiderweb or starburst cracks are illegal, no matter how small they are unless the starburst qualifies as just a chip. Chips typically can be filled with adhesive to prevent them from expanding into a crack as long as the work is done very quickly. This also can be done by a company that replaces windshields and other auto glass. Click here to schedule an appointment for mobile service or to bring the vehicle in.
