Can I Drive With a Shattered Back Window?

A newbie driver has a responsibility to adhere to the fundamental driving regulations. A new driver may ask, “Can I drive with a shattered back window?”

Yes, you can! If you have all of your side mirrors intact, you should be able to safely drive home even if you have a damaged back window. If the condition is severe, you should consult a local repair service.

Driving a vehicle with shattered car glass is not an immediate threat to your safety in the majority of scenarios.

Meanwhile, you need to clean up the shattered glass and cover the window with something.

What Happens If Your Car’s Back Window Gets Shattered?

Broken windscreens might be difficult to clean up afterward. You’ll need to get it replaced as soon as possible because the back of your automobile will be more susceptible without the protection of the glass.

Some temporary repairs are available while you wait for the entire windshield replacement to be completed.

It is strongly advised that you should not get behind the wheel if your back window is busted. But, as long as both side mirrors are in working order, you should still be able to drive safely to your destination.

After that, it is in your best interest to get in touch with a professional, which will depend on the level of damage. 

Because you are theoretically still able to drive with it, you might be able to turn it in at a branch right away, or you might be able to obtain a mobile service to come to you.

Temporary Solution for Shattered Back Window of Your Car

Even though you’ll eventually need to replace the window, there are a few interim remedies you may do in the meanwhile.

Consider one of the following options after thoroughly cleaning up the shattered glass from the vehicle’s inside and exterior with the appropriate safety gear:

Taping up the back:

Taping up your rear windscreen with duct tape might be a quick and easy remedy until you buy a new one. The most important parts of this process are applying tape to the back window frame and ensuring the bag is tight.

Utilizing plastic as a cover:

When the window is shattered, you may want to consider taping some heavy-duty plastic into the gap. Duct tape works well for securing the plastic in the back window frame. Keeping your vehicle safe until it can be repaired is the most important step.

Again, they are only short-term workarounds.

Tips for Dealing with a Shattered Car Window

Nobody likes to go outside and discover that their car’s window has been smashed. Whatever the cause, you must clean and restore the damage. After your car window has been shattered, here are the actions you should take.

Make a Police Report and Contact Your Insurance Company:

Do not move or touch anything in your automobile until you have contacted your insurance provider and filed a police complaint about the break-in. Some people prefer to use a telephone to obtain the data. Insurers are in the same boat.

It’s best not to start cleaning until the insurance company or police have finished their investigation. Before you start cleaning or repairing anything, make sure you take photographs of the situation so they can see the damage

Clean Up The Cracked Glasses:

The shattered glass can be cleaned up in a jiffy with a shop vacuum. Start sucking up the car’s glass with a shop vacuum. Remove as much glass as you can see by repeating this process.

Ensure that most auto repair businesses will also vacuum your car for glass so that you don’t have to spend time removing all of the glass.

You should, however, only erase what is visible. Ensure you empty your shop vacuum when you are done cleaning so that you don’t have any glass shards.

Covering Up the Window:

When all of the glass has been removed, secure or cover the window to keep out the elements until it can be repaired, cardboard and duct tape are frequently employed by the public. On the other hand, clear packing tape is the most effective method.

While driving, run a vertical piece of transparent packing tape from the top of the glass to the bottom.

Tape should never be used on the exterior of a vehicle since this might lead to peeling paint—cover different areas by overlapping another piece of tape vertically over the first one.

Continue to do so until the window opening is completely covered. Run strips horizontally after running tape vertically to ensure that the window area is fully covered. Keep this in place until you can get a new one installed.

The Art of Covering a Broken Car Window

Put on a pair of gloves before handling glass fragments. To make it easy to get rid of or recycle the waste, use a bag or container.

Get rid of the Shattered glass:

Remove the largest shards of glass first. Gently remove any residual pieces of glass that are still affixed to the vehicle.

Remove any tiny shards of glass from within the vehicle, around its window frame, and even inside its seal with a shop vacuum cleaner.

The lengthy vacuum attachment makes it easier to clean the carpet, the seat, and even the car’s door of tiny shards.

Clean Your Window’s Edges:

Preparing the surfaces surrounding the window for optimal adherence is the next step. To ensure that the tape covering adheres properly, it is necessary to remove any debris, dust, or accumulation.

Position the Plastic Covering:

Finally, place the plastic on the window frame from the driver’s seat. To avoid damaging the car’s paint or making it harder to remove the tape afterward, avoid using other types of tape.

The Plastic Covering:

The longer the masking tape, the better. Once the plastic is in place, apply a single piece of masking tape to each side of the glass. If the plastic isn’t stretched tightly enough, it will flap in the wind and make a lot of noise when you’re driving.

To keep the window covering in place, use window sealant.

Use more tape to make the window seal more durable. The additional tape will assist hold the plastic covering in place even if there is dampness or high air pressure while driving.

Add a Second Layer:

Use a double plastic covering from the outside of the window and repeat steps four through six. That’s all there is to it when fixing a busted automobile window.

Bottom Line

Covering a window reduces the visibility of the driver. Make sure to slow down and drive with extreme caution if a window is damaged.