Cracked Screens.

[teacake44]

In all the years I've been driving I've had about 4 chipped or cracked screens, and everyone has been the result of a stone being thrown from the back wheel of a lorry, even when keeping a reasonable distance away from them. I followed one only this week and had to keep about a 100 yards away due to the remains of grit/ gravel falling from the back of his last load delivery for about 3 miles. But aside from that lorry wheels tend to throw up stones anyhow, so why is it that they can't have a full mud flap to cover the whole of the wheel ( almost down to road level) instead most only have a third cover, if that. A full cover surly would eliminate stones being thrown up. Unless I'm missing something?

[bednobs]

Perhaps it's just you? I've been driving for 30 years and never had one (cue a cracked screen when I drive home tonight )

[Old_Geezer]

Loads of chips though. They don't sent the sweepers down the motorway anything like often enough.

[Baldric]

Surely if a stone is thrown up by a wheel it launches from road level?

[ummmm]

I've never had a cracked screen either.

[retrocop]

I've had several but only one within driver's vision which necessitated a visit from Autoglass.
I recall escorting a certain company's fleet of Arctics in all weathers and they had extended mud flaps to eliminate spray. They were very effective. Not 100% but far better than other lorrys so it can be done.

[mushroom25]

what can be terrifying is coming up behind a truck and spotting a brick end wedged between the double wheels and hoping it doesn't get flung at you......

[Khandro]

I got one 12 months ago & I wasn't following anything, it was thrown up by a lorry coming towards me. If it's just a small star-shaped chip it can be repaired, but if it's a crack, & mine was, it requires the fitting of a new screen.
The screen on a Honda Jazz is huge & it cost around a £1,000 fitted. :0(

[TonyV]

I had one from a lorry throwing up a bolt from motorway.

[retrocop]

When I attended various driving school courses the students were all issued with leather driving gloves.We had to wear them on parade and when behind the wheel.One reason was hygiene as there were three students per car in rotation and the other was to punch out the screen if vision was lost due to excessive starring. This happened regularly on the Advanced courses when at speed.
I was driving to Weston Super Mare once in a hired Vauxhall VX4/90.
I was accompanied by my mate who was later to be my best man.
I picked up massive stone damage to the screen which totally obscured my vision.
Reg had his driving gloves in front of him on top of the dashboard and quick as a flash picked them up and punched out my side of the windscreen.
We had to take out the entire screen as pieces of glass kept breaking off into our faces as we drove along peering through the hole.

[bhg481]

Retrocop - I guess that was not a laminated windscreen, the VX4/90 being a 1960s/70s car.

[DTCwordfan]

the best I had wasn't a stone but a steel bar - it had fallen from a truck on the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry during the crossing, the ferry company paying for the replacement.

By the way, as to chips, most insurance companies cover these for free or a nominal fee such as a purple note.

[EDDIE51]

Yes, Laminated screens are compulsory in the UK and EU
Nearly all insurance policies have 'Windscreen Cover' as a free extra ! You do not lose any 'No Claim Bonus' for Windscreen damage / replacement !

[retrocop]

Correct it would be about 1973 and I can vouch it wasn't a laminated screen. I was spitting glass out for the rest of the trip.

[Hopkirk]

Mine have been as a result of loose chippings after the road has been surface dressed.