I’ve known that even before the state inspection was eliminated years ago that driving a car or truck with a cracked windshield was illegal. Those needing to take the driving part of the Oklahoma driver’s license test will do it with a vehicle that doesn’t have a cracked windshield. That’s because the state understands that a cracked windshield is a safety hazard as it is a distraction to the driver and distorts the driver’s vision. Many also don’t know that the windshield helps with roof strength and that many passenger side airbags deploy against the windshield in an accident.

Over the last several years I’ve talked to a number of people that have been either warned or ticketed for driving with a cracked windshield. Not all have been stopped due to the crack being in the driver’s vision. Fines have started at $150 and gone up depending on where the ticket was written. Lately I’ve heard an increase in the numbers being stopped due to them having a cracked windshield. Even the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has been writing tickets for windshield cracks. I’ve posted this information on Twitter.com/GlassAid in the past.

This last week one of my contacts told me they were replacing a windshield in a car that the owner had gotten “2 Tickets” for driving with a cracked windshield. We both wondered how this could be, but at the same time I suspected that it was due to tickets being written in different towns.

Flash forward a couple days and I performed a windshield repair for a Valley Brook police officer. While performing the windshield repair we talked about the story of the car owner that had gotten 2 tickets for a cracked windshield. He confirmed what I suspected, in Oklahoma you can be ticketed for driving with a cracked windshield in any town, city, county or state highway. There is no limit as to the number of tickets you can get for a cracked windshield.

An example of this as to what can happen in just 1 day. Say you live in Edmond and want to go to the game at O.U. in Norman. With that auto having a cracked windshield you can be stopped and ticketed in Edmond, Oklahoma City, Moore, and Norman. You can also get a ticket from OHP, the sheriff in both Oklahoma and Cleveland County. All told you could end up with fines in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars in just 1 day.

So what can you do? Well if you have a cracked windshield get it replaced quickly. Do yourself a big favor, don’t base your windshield replacement on the cheapest price, you get what you pay for. To help you out I’ve put information about windshield replacements and a quote form that you can down load at GlassAid.tel. Just go to the “Replacement Information” folder at GlassAid.tel.

A better way is to prevent a cracked windshield by repairing small chips before they crack out. Most windshield cracks started with a small chip. Inspect your windshield each time you fill your auto or truck with fuel. Check the windshield from the outside and make sure you check the black edge for damage as that area can’t be seen from the inside. I’ve seen thousands of windshields over the years that were crack and the crack started with a chip near the edge in the black area. While you’re at it check your windshield wiper blades, you don’t want a scratched windshield either.

So be safe and don’t drive your auto or truck with a cracked windshield.