What is Structural Integrity?
The parts, devices, and systems that comprise the overall structure of a vehicle include the passenger compartment, steering column, dash, roof pillars, pedals and floor panels, seat belts, lap and shoulder belts, airbags, and windshields. Whenever any one of these structural components is damaged, the integrity of the vehicle is weakened and the safety of passengers is diminished until damaged components are repaired in accordance with industry safety standards.
Auto glass is manufactured for "structure, safety, and aerodynamic purposes. All modern automobile glass must meet the specifications outlined by the American Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council and the American National Standards Institute." The safety standards include two tests:
- A front-impact test to investigate if a windshield will dislodge during a 30-mile-per-hour crash; and
- A roof crash test to evaluate the durability of a windshield when 5,000 pounds or 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle, whichever is less, is applied to the vehicle’s roof.
These tests help engineers and manufacturers determine the extent to which a windshield will protect passengers during a head-on collision or rollover. Safety standards for auto glass replacements also require the use of the same adhesive used by the OEM and following the application instructions provided by the manufacturer. The purpose of these standards is to ensure that the integrity of the structural component (the auto glass) is returned to the condition it was in (sound) before the glass was damaged.
Because auto glass is considered a major part of vehicle safety, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) play primary roles in the creation, enforcement, and maintenance of the laws and standards by which California's auto glass shops are mandated to follow. The purpose of these organizations also is to educate potential auto glass shop customers, providing information about customer rights. These organizations provide up-to-date directories of shops that are in compliance with state automotive repair safety regulations as well as shops that are in violation.
California's Broken Windshield Law
As of 2014, it is illegal to operate motor vehicles (i.e., passenger vehicles; trucks; buses; truck tractors; fire trucks, fire engines, or other fire apparatus; and husbandry implements) with a cracked windshield or rear window.
Read California Vehicle Code (VC) 26710 Defective Windshields and Rear Windows.
Did You Get a Ticket?
If you receive a traffic ticket for a broken windshield or back glass, call AV Auto Glass at 661-943-3991 or send an e-mail to avautoglass@gmail.com. Same-day service is usually available for calls made before noon Monday through Friday.