[sachinjoseph]

Hello everyone. I am new to this platform and so, please excuse if this topic has already been discussed. I did do a search here to find if anyone has spoken about it but couldn't find any.

I travel a bit on highways and some times, there would be a flying stone that would hit the windshield. Unfortunately, the last time this happened, it left a bit of a small crack on my windshield. I wanted to check if there is any product that could be installed on the windshield to protect them from these incidents?

Any advice would be of great help.

Thank you.

[speedmiester]

Don't think there are any products to protect the windshield from flying debris.
It is there for our protection. If the windshield cracks do not develop into a major hindrance, you can continue using it. Else claim insurance and replace it. Since it is glass, you will not paying much out of pocket.

[clevermax]

The only solution that I can think of, is this:


And if there's ever going to be a high-tech solution, it will be something similar to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHqPuZs_nPk

Jokes apart, how many times an event like this can happen during say few years of driving? I think it is an extreme rare case - that a flying debris capable of cracking the windshield actually hitting the windshield. May be maintaining distance from vehicles that poses such a risk is the best solution.

[VKumar]

Originally Posted by sachinjoseph

Any advice would be of great help.

Stop driving closely behind the bigger vehicles and SUVs, especially when the speed is in the north of 60 kph.

I wanted to check if there is any product that could be installed on the windshield to protect them from these incidents?

There is one such product that you can get custom built, but that has two catches:
1) Would you like the way it looks after being installed
2) Will the cops be happy and friendly with you after it's done.

The product is as follows (Reliable, durable, strong):

EDIT: @Clevermax has just beaten me by a few seconds!

[condor]

Maintain distance, even with trucks carrying gravel. Beyond that it is luck.

to add:
Even though Karnataka State transport Volvo buses belong to the corporation, their drivers have to take care of this risk and a cracked glass is also their responsibility. This also helps increase safety for the vehicle when they drive sufficiently behind another vehicle.

[ike]

Originally Posted by condor

Even though Karnataka State transport Volvo buses belong to the corporation, their drivers have to take care of this risk and a cracked glass is also their responsibility. This also helps increase safety for the vehicle when they drive sufficiently behind another vehicle.

OT, but KSRTC buses don't have insurance and drivers are penalized for damages? I know for a fact that Kerala SRTC did not have even third party insurance till a decade back.

[condor]

Originally Posted by ike

OT, but KSRTC buses don't have insurance and drivers are penalized for damages? .

Insurance apart. The duty staff gets incentives from the cargo they carry on the trip. So it;s a give and take: Give your responsibility to safe guard the assets, and take % of revenue from the cargo. Accountability & profit-sharing.

[wildsdi5530]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Jokes apart, how many times an event like this can happen during say few years of driving? I think it is an extreme rare case - that a flying debris capable of cracking the windshield actually hitting the windshield. May be maintaining distance from vehicles that poses such a risk is the best solution.

Happens quite often. Not just the windshield. In Bengaluru, we have to deal with heavy branches and fruits falling on our vehicles or heads even on major roads. Also flying stones hitting the sides is very common.

I personally know 2 two wheeler riders in the past 10 years who have died, one with a coconut falling on the rider's helmet and bouncing onto the pillion causing head injury. And another who succumbed to a 2kg twig that fell on him while riding on ring road.

[drmohitg]

In my experience, if you are driving at legal speeds, flying pebbles rarely damage your windscreen. The more aggressive/fast you are driving, the more chances of the windshield cracking. I have never had a cracked windshield in any of our cars right from 1989. However, my 2013 BMW 3 series has suffered 3 cracks due to the same.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by sachinjoseph

I wanted to check if there is any product that could be installed on the windshield to protect them from these incidents?

If you do install something (eg. sunfilm on the outside, rather from within), you run the risk of having impaired vision, especially once the product suffers wear and tear and oncoming light gets distorted; and it'll be worse at night.

Maintain safe distance or avoid driving behind dumpers/truck and eliminate the problem, than find a solution.

[Jaggu]

There are protection films for windshields that can be added. Recently was shared by fellow Mod Vidyut. Don't know how effective it would be or how long it would last in our Indian conditions, but definitely worth a try for expensive cars.

Link: https://madico.com/dealers/automotiv...tion/clearplex

[gkveda]

Good question but there is no solution as of now.

May be a simple solution like 100% transparent 3M film would protect glass from scratches. But does it protect breakage? Need to be experimented

[railfanwithk750]

IMO anything on the windshield will hamper visibility. A film wont protect much but will definitely get abrasions, even from coarse dust hitting it at 60kph. In a matter of weeks, maybe even days depending on driving and dust exposure, the film is sure to become hazy.

[_abhishek]

I too am looking for products that protect windshield from flying stone chips. I was waiting for the signal under a badly maintained Nayandahalli flyover in Bangalore, and a stone chip feel from the flyover on the windshield. It developed a minor crack then, and over a course of 6 months, it has developed a line half way through the windshield.

Helpful if someone can share experiences on using protection films on their car windshields.

[theMAG]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

There are protection films... Recently was shared by fellow Mod Vidyut...

Anything that is a sheath can break and could potentially cause contents from reaching the other side when least expected! Some of us probably know this.

To the original poster's query, there probably is no effective solution for windshield protection against flying stones. I remember going through a few myself, during my Swift days; having a windshield repair kit at home is likely a more practical option.