The roads today are filled with hazards that can damage your vehicle and even more that can cause damage to your windshield. Windshield damage, in its own right, creates additional hazards that make driving safely a riskier business. However, whether your insurance will cover windshield replacement or repair depends largely on the type of coverage you have.
Here’s what you need to know about your insurance and how you can find out if your protection covers glass repairs, offers full glass coverage, or is, unfortunately, lacking when the time to replace a windshield comes around.
Does Car Insurance Cover Windshield Damage?
There is good news on this front for drivers who have comprehensive insurance protection and collision insurance as most of these policies do, in fact, cover windshield damage. This is most commonly provided through your comprehensive insurance policy that will help repair damage or replace windshields broken from road hazards, flying debris, and similar occurrences. However, if your windshield damage is the result of an auto accident, it is generally covered by your collision insurance policy.
You must still deal with standards issues like deductibles (and they may vary depending on the type of incident in which the damage occurred) and coverage limits. The type of coverage (and in many cases the dollar amount of coverage) will depend on how the damage occurred and how extensive the damage to your windshield happens to be.
Collision Insurance for Windshield Repair and Replacement
Your collision insurance is there to provide protection from damage to your windshield resulting from collisions. When this occurs, the policy provides for the costs of repairing the damage or replacing the windshield (minus the deductible, of course) in the event of an accident. Common types of accidents include collisions with other vehicles or collisions with other objects. Other objects you might collide with include various items, such as the following:
- Utility poles
- Street signs
- Fence posts
- Brick mailbox stands
While it does cover a lot of ground, collision damage isn’t the only way in which windshields are damaged or destroyed. With that in mind, it isn’t the only type of insurance protection you’ll need in order to have robust protection for your windshield.
Comprehensive Insurance for Windshield Repair and Replacement
Comprehensive insurance coverage works in different situations than collision insurance.
This type of protection covers damage that doesn’t occur as a result of a collision. It may include various events, such as:
- Items falling from the sky
- Trees falling on your car
- Debris from a passing vehicle
- Hailstorm damage
- Acts of vandalism
- Hitting a deer
The types of damage vary greatly as do the costs of repairing or replacing vehicle windshields. Because of this, it is important to make sure you have all the coverage you need to protect your investment in your vehicle and to ensure your car is safe to operate for yourself, your passengers, and others on the road.
Full Glass Coverage
Additionally, you may have the option to purchase full glass coverage that is separate from your traditional insurance policy. With full glass coverage, you do not need to worry about paying deductibles (depending on your carrier) for auto glass repairs, which can be highly beneficial if you prefer not to need to budget for emergencies such as this.
In fact, many people prefer full glass protection as a means of avoiding unexpected expenses as the cost of the coverage is wrapped into normal insurance payments and not a surprise when you least expect it and can least afford it.
How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Broken Windshield?
It is much less expensive to repair broken windshields for your vehicle than to replace a windshield in most cases. However, there are several contributing factors that influence the total cost of glass repairs for your car, including:
- The amount of glass that is damaged
- Your location (state and local requirements may apply)
- The make and model of your vehicle
- The material your windshield is made of
- The type of damage that occurred
Without all the critical information above, it’s impossible to estimate how much repairs for your windshield will cost.
Is Windshield Replacement Protection Essential?
Depending on where you live, it could be essential to avoid all potential cracks, breaks, and visual impairments related to windshield damage. Not only is this type of damage a potential safety risk by obstructing your clear vision of the road ahead, but it also causes vehicles to fail to pass safety inspections in some states until the damage is repaired. For a safer driving experience and to prevent avoidable accidents, it is always best to repair any damage to your windshield as quickly as possible.
Because so many things can damage and destroy vehicle windshields, it is impossible to prevent them all. However, having the right type (and amount) of insurance protection can make it easier and more affordable to get the repairs you need so that you can return to safe driving once again.
Of course, the best thing you can do to make sure you have the right insurance coverage for your windshield and your peace of mind is to work with a trusted insurance agency to advise you about the type of insurance and amount of coverage you need. Arnold Insurance is here to help you find the auto insurance plan that meets your needs and works within your own risk tolerance levels.
Contact us today to learn more about your auto insurance options and to let us help you make informed choices about your auto insurance protection. The best time to call is now, before you need to replace a windshield in your vehicle or find yourself in need of extensive, and potentially costly, glass repairs.
The right insurance protection can save you a great deal of time, money, and worry. Arnold Insurance can help you find the “just right” combination of cost and coverage.