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Can you get pulled over for a cracked windshield?
I was driving on a gravel road, and out of nowhere, a huge rock hit my Ford Fusion’s windshield and cracked it! I won’t have time to take it to a mechanic before my morning commute, but I’m worried I can’t legally drive like this. Can you get pulled over for a cracked windshield?
Shannon Fitzgerald · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about a cracked windshield is that it’s rarely the driver’s fault—you were just minding your own business on that gravel road!
Typically, you can get pulled over for a cracked windshield, but the laws vary from state to state.
On a federal level, there are regulations for cracked windshields, too:
- You cannot drive with any chips or cracks larger than 0.75 inches in diameter
- You cannot drive with any chips or cracks smaller than 0.75 inches in diameter if they are within 3 inches of each other
- There cannot be any cracks directly in the driver’s line of sight—defined as the area the wiper sweeps on the driver’s side
While these federal regulations can help give you an idea of what you can get away with on your windshield, note that your state may have mandates in place that prohibit any cracks. It’s therefore a good idea to research what your state’s transportation code outlines, and perhaps borrow or rent a car until you can get your
Ford Fusion’s
windshield replaced.Because it is so important to repair a windshield promptly, some states—like
Florida
and Kentucky
—require insurance companies to cover the cost of windshield repairs. However, drivers will usually need to have comprehensive coverage
to cover these repairs in most other states. If you don’t have this coverage already,
Jerry
, the car insurance
super app, can help you secure it for the future. We’ll even research the lowest rates available to you while we’re at it! The app is free to use and takes less than a minute to get started. Then, when you find a plan you like, Jerry’s
expert brokers
will help handle all the calls and paperwork. The average user saves more than $800 a year on car insurance, so it’s definitely worth a look!
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- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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