The auto glass company that checks the glass first.

Repair or replace

Chip, crack or a new windshield

Not every chip means a new windshield. Impex’s own rule is that a repair may be possible when the damage is small, shallow and away from the edges of the glass. ROLAGS, the windshield repair standard run by the National Windshield Repair Division, treats stone breaks up to two inches across and single line cracks up to 14 inches as repairable. Many shops work to a tighter rule of thumb: damage smaller than a dollar bill, about six inches, is likely repairable, and a chip smaller than a quarter usually is. Those are rules of thumb, not laws, and a technician still has to see the glass.

• Usually repairable: a single small chip or bullseye, away from the edge and out of the driver’s direct view.
• Usually replaced: a crack that runs to the edge, damage right in front of the driver, several breaks at once, or a crack that keeps growing.
• Worth asking about: damage in the area the forward camera looks through, since a repair there can affect what the camera sees.

North Carolina’s annual safety inspection (G.S. 20-183.3) checks the windshield wipers, not the glass itself, and no NC statute sets a crack size. Safety glass is required in every window (G.S. 20-135), and wipers must be in good working order (G.S. 20-127(a)). A crack in your line of sight is still a safety problem, and the windshield matters in a crash: the Auto Glass Safety Council calls it part of the vehicle’s passenger restraint system, which must be installed properly for airbags to deploy safely.

Cameras and radar

Calibration after a new windshield

More cars on I-485 and US 74 carry a camera behind the mirror every year. It reads lane lines and the car ahead for lane departure warning, collision braking and adaptive cruise control. Because it is mounted on the windshield, I-CAR lists removing the windshield as one of the events that may require the camera to be aimed again. Requirements differ by year, make and model, which is one more reason the VIN matters. Impex says it performs ADAS calibration on site immediately after windshield replacement, and that calibration takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours. The page on ADAS calibration in Charlotte explains static and dynamic calibration and what drives the cost.

Radar is a separate system. Forward radar usually sits in or behind the front bumper or grille, not in the windshield, so a windshield job alone does not normally touch it. It needs aiming after the radar, the bumper or the grille has been removed or repaired. See ADAS radar calibration in Charlotte for when that applies.

Insurance

How a glass claim usually works in North Carolina

In North Carolina, glass breakage falls under comprehensive coverage. The NC Department of Insurance lists ‘Breakage of glass’ and ‘Missiles or falling objects’ among comprehensive losses, paid less any deductible. North Carolina has no law that waives the deductible for glass, so unless your policy includes full glass coverage, your comprehensive deductible applies.

• You choose the company. Under G.S. 58-3-180 your policy must let you select the repair service, and your insurer pays the same amount whichever you choose.
• No SDIP points for glass. A comprehensive glass claim is not an at-fault accident, so it adds no Safe Driver Incentive Plan points. Insurers may still look at how often you file claims.
• Impex can handle it. Give Impex your insurer and policy number and it can deal with the claim for you.

The article is a cracked windshield replaced for free in North Carolina? goes through deductibles and full glass coverage in more detail.

Fleets

Glass for company vehicles

A van with a cracked windshield is a van that is not earning. Impex says it focuses on fleets and stocks common fleet glass, which shortens the wait for the parts business vehicles go through most. Impex is part of the Impex family of automotive companies, alongside Impex Auto Sales, Impex Chevy, Impex GM and the Impex Heavy Metal Division. For how a fleet account can work, from one contact to calibration on newer vans, see fleet auto glass in Charlotte.