Cracked Windscreen

doningtonphil

Hello
When washing the car last week I noticed a small stone chip at the edge (passenger side) of my windscreen.  Wasn't in the visible part of the screen.  However on Friday i noticed a crack has started to spread from it across the screen, currently 15cm.  I looked at my insurance (Aviva) and have no excess replacement with Autoglass. Went on their website and advsied only serving 'Essential workers' at present.  Proceeded to make a booking at my closest depot (Carlisle).  Apparently must be done at depot because cameras need recalibrating (2018 Nissan XTrail).  First date offered 22 May.
A bit later on, received a phone call to verify my job.  I work in the rail industry repairing brake equipment so the call centre man decided that qualified as essential.  However he advised Carlisle is closed so can choose Gateshead or Glasgow (both a 90 min journey).  However unable to supply  any dates so awaiting a call back.

The windscreen moves if press lightly so I am convinced the crack would spread quite readily.  Is it safe/legal for me to drive 60 to 90 miles in that condition? (Even Carlisle is 30 miles away)

Due to the length of time I might have to wait for appointment should I stop driving my car to stop it getting worse?

Is there a chance I would need to organise RAC to recover the car to the Autoglass depot?

If the car is deemed undrivable, could i seek assistance form my insurance company to get a lone car?

Any advice/suggestions welcome

KimJongUn88

The car will be safe to drive.  The worse that will happen is that the crack will spread.  

doningtonphil

Thanks Kim
And legal too?

Norman_Castle

I got stopped just before Christmas because of an 18" crack on the drivers side. From my experience and from memory it was a £50 fine waived if proof of repair from a mot station was sent within 14 days so not legal but you get the opportunity to rectify it.

Stop pressing on it. A friends son hit mine to see what would happen!

Scrapit

Worse case take the screen out.

greyteam1959

Scrapit said:

Worse case take the screen out.

What ??
Drive the car with no windscreen in ??

Scrapit

greyteam1959 said:

Scrapit said:

Worse case take the screen out.

What ??
Drive the car with no windscreen in ??

Are you required to have a screen? Hint, there are cars without em.

A_Lert

If it obscures your view that's an offence.

If the crack encroaches less than 4 cm into the area swept by the wipers, and doesn't touch two edges of the screen, I think it's OK. But it could spread.

You can get DIY repair kits, they won't make the crack go away but they'll reinforce it to reduce the chance it spreads.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stickers-or-other-items-in-front-and-rear-windscreens/view-to-the-front-and-windscreen-obscuration

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-and-body-repair/scratch-repair-and-paint-restorers/rain-x-windscreen-repair-kit-125108.html

Ectophile

greyteam1959 said:

Scrapit said:

Worse case take the screen out.

What ??
Drive the car with no windscreen in ??

Yes.  There's no requirement to have a windscreen on a car.

Many years ago I was driving round the M25 and a stone flung up from a truck tyre hit the screen with a big bang.  A few minutes later, the windscreen crazed over (it was toughened glass, not laminated).  I had no choice but to stop, smash a large hole in the windscreen, and then carry on.

Robisere

Same thing happened to me many years ago, driving a Vauxhall Firenza with my dad as passenger. Drove all the way from Mansfield to Peterborough without a problem. ¼ mile from home, along a newly gritted road, driving at 25 mph when a coal truck overtook us at speed, flashed up a lump of congealed grit like a rock and burst the screen. I had sunglasses, dad had big specs, so our eyes were fine, but tiny spots of blood from glass splinters on our faces. Next day I phoned a foreman mate at a Vauxhall dealership, kicked out the screen and removed the wipers, put them in the boot, drove wearing my old biker goggles. Halfway to the garage, an obviously new PC stopped me and decided to give me a ticket for having no screen and no wipers. I worked in the motor trade at the time and I knew that was BS, so I asked him to contact the station before he made an idiot of himself. After an argument during which I said I would take it to court and he would have to attend, he wandered back to his Panda and used his radio. Came back with the "On this occasion..." speech and told me to get the screen replaced. "I would be at the garage now waiting for it to be done if you had not stopped me." He was not happy, but I hope he learned the lesson: if there is no windscreen, there is no requirement for wipers, but it needs to be repaired ASAP.

Stubod

"Rain X do a DIY repair kit for £9 on Amazon. Mixed reviews but probably worth a punt?