You are heading up the Princes Freeway towards Traralgon. A truck passes the other way, something cracks off the glass, and by the time you pull into the driveway there is a small star in front of the passenger seat.
Most single chips can be repaired. A windscreen chip repair works when the damage is small, has not run into a crack, and sits away from the driver’s line of sight. It also needs to be clear of the edge of the glass. Depth matters as much as size. A windscreen is two sheets of glass bonded to a plastic film, and damage through both sheets cannot be filled. Once a chip has spread into a long crack, you are usually buying new glass.
What decides whether a chip gets repaired
Five things decide it, and a repairer looks at all of them before quoting.
A repair is not invisible. Done properly it restores strength and stops the damage spreading, and you are left with a faint outline where the chip was.
- Size. Small chips fill cleanly. Large ones leave a mark you will notice every time you drive.
- Depth. Damage in the outer sheet of glass can be repaired. Damage that has reached the inner sheet cannot.
- Where it sits. A chip in front of the driver is treated differently from the same chip low on the passenger side, because a repair always leaves a faint mark.
- How close it is to the edge. The edge carries the most stress, so damage within a few centimetres of it tends to run.
- How long it has been there. Dirt and water work into an open chip. The resin then bonds less well and the finished repair shows more.
Why Gippsland roads are hard on windscreens
Windscreen damage is a road surface problem more than a driving problem. The Latrobe Valley has plenty of the surfaces that cause it.
Unsealed roads and farm tracks throw stones straight up at whatever follows. Most stone chip damage in the Valley starts there or behind a gravel or log truck shedding loose material. On the Princes Freeway, the closing speed between you and oncoming traffic is at its highest. A small stone hits with far more force there than it would at 60km/h in town.
Then there is the cold morning problem. The glass is fogged or frosted, you are running late, and you point the demister at the windscreen on full. The inner surface heats fast while the outer surface stays near freezing. Glass expands as it warms, so the two surfaces pull against each other. If there is a chip in the outer sheet, that is where the stress lands. A chip that has sat still for months can run right across the screen in one go.
Warm the car gradually instead. Start low, let the cabin come up, then turn it up. Two minutes is the cheapest thing you can do to get a chipped windscreen through winter.
What happens if you leave a chip alone
A chip is a weak point in glass that is already under tension, so it does not stay the same size forever.
Taking a small piece out of the glass concentrates stress at the tip of the damage. Every flex of the body over a rough crossing adds load there. Cracks grow in steps rather than steadily, which is why a chip can sit still for six months, then travel 200mm on one morning.
Two things help while you wait for an appointment. Put clear tape over the chip to keep dirt and water out. Skip the automatic car wash.
Does a cracked windscreen fail a roadworthy in Victoria?
Not every crack fails. Victoria sets measurable limits, and minor damage on a used car is expected rather than penalised.
The standard is Vehicle Standards Information 26, published by the Department of Transport and Planning in March 2023. It is the written direction given to licensed vehicle testers under the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021, and it covers vehicles up to 4.5 tonne. It states that a windscreen with minor damage should not be rejected.
| What you can see | Where the standard draws the line | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| A bullseye or star chip up to 16mm across | Allowed inside the wiper sweep, as long as it does not block the driver’s view | Usually a repair |
| A bullseye or star chip over 16mm across | Fails, inside the wiper sweep | Usually new glass |
| A crack up to 150mm long in one sheet of glass | Allowed inside the wiper sweep, as long as it does not block the driver’s view | A repair may hold, get it looked at quickly |
| A crack over 150mm long in one sheet of glass | Fails, inside the wiper sweep | New glass |
| A crack that has gone through more than one sheet | Fails, whatever its length | New glass |
A properly repaired windscreen passes. VSI 26 says a faint outline, a slightly dull spot, or a fine hairline mark left by a repair is acceptable and is not grounds for rejection. Filling a chip does not put your roadworthy at risk.
A roadworthy certificate is only needed at certain points. Mainly when a car is sold or re-registered, or to clear a defect notice. So a crack does not make your car illegal today, but it does set the standard your car gets measured against when the time comes. Our article on what a roadworthy certificate checks covers the rest of the inspection.
What windscreen chip repair and replacement cost
Repairing a chip is the cheaper option by a wide margin, which is the main reason to act early.
Across the Australian market, a single chip repair usually runs between $60 and $150 and takes under an hour. A replacement windscreen for a common car generally starts around $300 and climbs from there. Late model cars with a camera behind the glass, a heated screen or a head up display sit at the top end, where $1,000 or more is normal.
These are general Australian market ranges, not Lloyd Street Tyre & Auto pricing. Get a written quote before any work starts.
Some cars carry a camera behind the windscreen for lane keeping or automatic braking. Replacing that glass can mean the camera needs recalibrating, which is a separate cost. Ask about it when you book.
Comprehensive insurance often includes windscreen cover, and some policies let you claim a chip repair without paying the full excess. Whether yours does depends on the policy, so check your product disclosure statement first.
Getting the chip looked at this week
The test is simple. If the damage is smaller than your fingertip, sits away from your line of sight and has not started to run, book a repair. If it has already spread, or it sits in front of you, expect a replacement and get a written quote.
If you are getting the car ready to sell, a roadworthy inspection will pick the windscreen up anyway, so sort the glass first. Either way, do it before the next cold snap.
Book the windscreen in at Lloyd Street Tyre & Auto in Moe. Bring the car down so the damage can be measured properly, rather than judged from a photo.
Frequently asked questions
How long can you drive with a cracked windscreen?
There is no fixed time limit. What matters is whether the crack blocks your view, and whether the car will pass an inspection the next time you need one. A crack directly in front of the driver should be dealt with straight away.
Will a repaired chip still be visible?
Usually, yes. The repair fills the damage with resin and bonds it, so the glass gets its strength back. The mark itself does not disappear completely.
Can a crack be repaired, or only a chip?
Short cracks in a single sheet of glass can sometimes be filled, though the odds drop as they get longer. Anything running out from the edge, or reaching through to the inner sheet, needs replacing.
Is a repaired windscreen as strong as a new one?
A repair restores strength to the damaged area and holds it there, which is what it is built to do. It is not the same as new glass, and a repairer will say so if the damage is beyond what a fill can hold.
