{"id":600,"date":"2017-05-19T18:10:54","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T22:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/?p=600"},"modified":"2024-04-03T21:18:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T01:18:44","slug":"strange-objects-damage-windshield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/strange-objects-damage-windshield\/","title":{"rendered":"Strange Objects Cause Windshield Damage in Many Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><strong>Windshield Damage is Typical<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ve gone your entire life without ever having a damaged windshield- a rock chip at the very least. Windshield breakage typically happens one every eight years on average, but we see or hear about thousands of cases every day\u2014some of them a bit more bizarre than others. Rocks aren\u2019t the only thing hitting and breaking your windshield that you need to worry about. Larger and heavier objects can bounce high enough to break a <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/auto\/windshields\"   title=\"windshield\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">windshield<\/a> too. And even though your windshield is made to be seriously tough, it\u2019s no match for some things. We\u2019ll tell you about some of the more bizarre windshield breakage stories we\u2019ve heard.<\/p>\n<h2><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/388006181\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>What Causes Windshield Damage?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Parts from Other Vehicles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many accidents are caused every day by parts that come loose from other driver\u2019s cars- particularly commercial vehicles such as pickup and semi-trucks that see many hard miles. These heavy duty parts can cause serious windshield damage. Not only that, but after smashing through the windshield they can strike passengers, causing serious injury or even death.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_623\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-623\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-623 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/unsecured-loads-break-windshields-1024x682.jpeg\" alt=\"unsecured-loads-break-windshields\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/unsecured-loads-break-windshields-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/unsecured-loads-break-windshields-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/unsecured-loads-break-windshields-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/unsecured-loads-break-windshields.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-623\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks see constant use and abuse. Sometimes maintenance items go overlooked or loads unsecured.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Believe it or not, wheels are one of the more popular (and critical) parts that vehicles tend to lose. If the lug nuts that hold the wheel to the axle come loose, the wheel may eventually fall off. A 30+ pound wheel bouncing down the road at highway speed is sure to take out whatever lies in its path- and sometimes a car\u2019s windshield is unlucky enough to take the brunt of the impact. Even wheels with the axle still attached have been known to break windshields. One account tells of a woman who ended up with an axle stuck through the windshield directly above the steering wheel, inches from her face. Fortunately, her son had been driving the car the night before and adjusted the seat backward a few notches.<\/p>\n<p>Although less formidable and less common, tires themselves can become dismounted from the rim and land on a driver\u2019s windshield. Another account tells of a driver who\u2019s new used car was totaled by a semi truck tire 10 minutes after leaving the dealership. The driver of the semi had brand new tires mounted just days before. There was speculation that the tire was not seated properly during the install.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_624\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-624\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-624 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/wheel-breaks-windshield-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"wheel-breaks-windshield\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/wheel-breaks-windshield-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/wheel-breaks-windshield-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/wheel-breaks-windshield-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/wheel-breaks-windshield.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-624\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Always ensure wheels and tires are mounted and balanced properly to avoid danger to yourself and other drivers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Not Just Wheels and Tires<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Another common culprit of smashed windshields is the tow hitch. This metal attachment that slides into a mount, bolted to a truck\u2019s frame, can weigh anywhere from about 5 to 25 pounds. It is held in place by a pin. If the pin is not put in place or falls out, the hitch is liable to vibrate itself out of the mount. A solid piece of steel with so many angles and edges can bounce up and through a windshield, causing serious damage to whatever is in its way. Other objects causing broken windshields include leaf spring suspension parts and brake drums.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Hauling Materials Can Be Dangerous<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Hauled materials account for countless incidents of windshield breakage as well. These can come from trailers, tractor trailers, pickup trucks, or even just materials strapped to the roof of a car. In many instances the objects being hauled are too large for the vehicle or the load is not secured properly. Long objects such as pipe, beams, logs, and lumber account for many of these. They act like javelins and spear through windshields, forcefully striking whatever they land on beyond the windshield. Fatalities are common If the location of the strike is unlucky.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_618\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-618\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-618 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/log-breaks-windshield-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"log-breaks-windshield\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/log-breaks-windshield-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/log-breaks-windshield-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/log-breaks-windshield-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/log-breaks-windshield.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-618\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks hauling logs, pipes, beams, and rods pose possible hazards if not secured properly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other common objects include steel plates, crates and other random objects like large pipe couplers. These have a bit more surface area at the windshield, so the impact is not as concentrated, but the damage can certainly be just as destructive.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Strange Objects Break Windshields Too<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Accounts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.femalefirst.co.uk\/bizarre\/bizarre-cused-condom-shatters-car-windscreen-367443.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">odd objects<\/a> striking windshields are just as numerous. Sometimes these objects innocently fall from another vehicle, either forgotten or unsecured. But other times objects are maliciously thrown from passing vehicles or off of overpasses. Take, for example, multiple accounts of gallon jugs breaking through windshields- even the windshield of a semi truck in one instance. Pranksters on Halloween are known for sometimes hurling pumpkins at vehicles. One would hope that a hollow pumpkin would simply explode on impact but too often the mass of these gourds is enough to cause serious windshield damage. Other seemingly innocent crops, like small bales of hay, can damage windshields due to their mass.<\/p>\n<p>Tools left on bed rails or in open beds of trucks, such as wrenches and axes, tend to work their way towards the ground with every bump and twist in the road. Even odd objects such as dumbbells and even boat oars have been known to come loose. They then bounce along until coming in contact with something.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_622\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-622\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-622 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/tools-break-windshield-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"tools-break-windshield\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/tools-break-windshield-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/tools-break-windshield-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/tools-break-windshield-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/tools-break-windshield.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-622\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All to often, drivers absentmindedly leave items on a roof or bumper where they are likely to fall off.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Windshield Damage Nearly\u00a0Inevitable<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Unfortunately, when you combine the speed of a moving vehicle with the mass of just about any hard object glass, damage can occur when the object comes in contact with something. When it happens to come in contact with glass, the effects can be devastating. Even an object as small as a metal BB can leave a chip on a windshield. Multiply that force by the mass of the objects above and you have a windshield that needs to be replaced and likely bodily injury too.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>More Windshield Break Stories<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Interested in other odd stories of windshield breaks? Check out our last blog about birds, mammals, and even reptiles. Sometimes these animals get just a little too curious or find their way onto a busy highway. We\u2019ll also have blogs coming up about glass breakage from storms, sporting events, vandalism, and even <a href=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/attacking-glass-road-rage-leads-broken-windshield\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">road rage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you have any stories of your own, we\u2019d love to hear them! Let us know in the comments below. And if you yourself have been a victim of broken auto glass, be sure to have the windshield professionally repaired or replaced at a reputable glass shop.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_626\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-626\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-626 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/windshield-replacement-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"windshield-replacement\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/windshield-replacement-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/windshield-replacement-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/windshield-replacement-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/windshield-replacement.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-626\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">If you&#8217;ve been the victim of a broken windshield, be sure to replace it as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your vehicle&#8217;s interior.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Where to Repair Your Broken Windshield<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Using professional auto glass providers is especially important if there was any <a href=\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/avoid-hitting-deer-damaging-windshield\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">damage to the car\u2019s body surrounding the windshield<\/a>. They will be able to determine whether any bodywork must be performed to ensure a safe replacement. Use Glass.com to easily <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/auto\">find a reliable glass replacement shop near you<\/a>. Compare price quotes from different shops and book your job right from our website- no hassle, no commitments!<u><\/u><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Windshield Damage is Typical It\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ve gone your entire life without ever having a damaged windshield- a rock chip at the very least. Windshield breakage typically happens one every eight years on average, but we see or hear about thousands of cases every day\u2014some of them a bit more bizarre than others. Rocks aren\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1352],"tags":[12,38],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70363,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600\/revisions\/70363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glass.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}