Does your car insurance cover windscreen repairs?

Protect your car from flying debris and extreme weather with windscreen repair insurance.

It’s all too easy to get a crack or chip in your windscreen when you’re out driving. Flying debris, bad weather and collisions are just a few of the common causes. And once the damage is done, it can impair your vision and make driving your car dangerous.

Windscreen repair insurance helps to reduce the stress, bother and expense of a cracked or chipped windscreen.

What is windscreen repair insurance?

Windscreen repair insurance helps to cover the cost of repairing or replacing a chipped or cracked windscreen. Without the right insurance in place, you could face a hefty repair bill or a large excess.

Is your windscreen covered by car insurance?

This depends on your insurer and the policy you’ve taken out. Many comprehensive car insurance policies include windscreen cover as standard or as an optional extra, while others won’t cover you at all. Check with your insurer to make sure your windscreen is definitely protected.

At Saga, we include windscreen insurance cover with Saga Plus, Saga Select and Saga Standard car insurance policies. And if you claim for this it won’t affect your No Claim Discount.

With Saga Plus and Saga Select, as long as you use one of our approved repairers and they don’t need to replace your windscreen, you won’t even have to pay for it (Saga Standard has a £25 excess for repairs).

If your windscreen does need replacing and you use a Saga approved repairer, you’ll have to pay a £75 excess (£100 excess with Saga Standard).

Different T&Cs apply if you use someone we haven’t approved – you can find more about this in the ‘Broken glass’ section of your policy book.

Can you drive with a cracked windscreen?

Driving with a cracked windscreen can be dangerous and can be considered a motoring offence if it obscures your view of the road.

If you’re driving with a cracked windscreen that obstructs your vision and you are stopped on the road, you could get points on your licence  as well as a fine. If you were to have an accident, you could be charged with a more serious driving offence, as a cracked windscreen makes it more likely that the accident was your fault.

Does claiming for your windscreen affect your insurance?

This depends on your insurer and your policy. But with Saga, claiming for your windscreen won’t affect your No Claim Discount.

Tips to prevent a cracked windscreen

A chipped or cracked windscreen is often unavoidable, but there are a few things you can do to minimise the chances of damage:

• Keep your distance - The closer your drive to the car in front of you, the more likely you are to be in the firing line if they hit any debris in the road. Try to keep at least two car lengths between your car and the vehicle ahead.
• Stay even further away from large vehicles - Large wheels don’t just kick up more debris, they also throw it further. When you’re driving behind a truck or any other type of large vehicle, leave plenty of extra room between them and you to reduce the chances of windscreen damage.
• Avoid roadworks (if possible) - Roadworks – and pneumatic drills in particular – can send bits of concrete flying in every direction. Diverting your route might not always be possible, but try to avoid roadworks when you can.
• Mind out for potholes - Potholes are every driver’s enemy and a common cause of windscreen damage. If you already have a small crack or chip in your windscreen, driving over a big pothole can make it much worse.

Find out how you can make a claim to repair or replace a damaged windscreen.