Mailbag: Another rock, another windshield
Posted on May 30th, 2008 – 6:05 AMBy Roadguy
Alert reader Joe G has a question about stuff flying off trucks:
I unfortunately again this week found myself the victim of a shower of errant sand and pebbles from a gravel-hauling truck, and although my encounter with it was only fleeting, it has left a continual reminder in the form of a circular chip in my otherwise beautiful windshield.
I wasn’t tailgating, I wasn’t even going in the same direction, so I certainly don’t think it was my fault. But, if I did a u-turn to chase down the truck for a license plate number, etc., I probably would have gotten pelted with much more. And even if I had succeeded, I don’t know that it would have ever resulted in getting my windshield fixed.
So even though it’s too late for me, my question for the thread would be… Are haulers responsible for this kind of damage? Are they required to cover loads that are prone to being blown around? A co-worker of mine saw a motorcyclist get sandblasted in a similar way this past week as well, so it’s certainly a safety issue. Probably a question for the state patrol, but maybe others have some insight.
Roadguy was planning to call a state trooper about this on Thursday, but my colleagues were already tying up the State Patrol’s phone lines because of this story about the latest teen driving tragedy. If things ease up today, I’ll see what I can find out. In the meantime, please add your knowledge, thoughts and ventings below.
11 Responses to "Mailbag: Another rock, another windshield"
I too had a similar experience the other day on the freeway…I was cut off by a pickup truck, and as he proceeded to rapidly accelerate, a rock kicked off his tire and hit my windshield, leaving a small chip. I did get his license plate number…Is there anything I can do in this situation?
The pickup truck’s insurance company: “Prove that the chip on your windshield was caused by the pickup truck.” Plus, random debris on the road probably isn’t covered.
Anyway, isn’t windshield repair basically free for people under insurance? That is, there’s no deductible?
Now, if I could only get a box of steaks…
Save the effort. The law MAY make the perpetrator responsible but you’ll never get anywhere unless you have a dash-cam video showing the rock/debris came off that specific vehicle. An experienced adjuster told me: Trucking companies routinely deny every claim and with some justification because people often random accuse trucks in order to get other free repairs. For example: they want the rusted front end of their car done claiming other “new damage” from truck spray. Easiest route is to have your ins co fix the windshield - mine does it free and not as part of deductable.
Not everyone has comprehensive or collision insurance. Makes no sense on a 13 year old vehicle like I drive, A fender bender would probably total it and then the payout would be capped to what the insurance company says the value is, not what the value is to me.
I believe that commercial trucks hauling sand and gravel are indeed supposed to cover their loads. However, if independent haulers are getting paid by the load rather than by the hour, they’re probably loath to take the extra time required to pull tarps over the load, choosing instead to take their chances in order to squeeze one more load out of the workday.
You’re probably out of lock Evil, as Rico noted, the truck’s insurer will undoubtedly say “Prove it was our driver.”
Yes, Minnesota DOES require deductible free windshield coverage but the insurers aren’t happy about it, and will look unfavorably at multiple claims.
I know this is off topic but, does anyone know about someone jumping from the top of the Lowry Hill tunnel eastbound into traffic yesterday? My friend seen it when he was going westbound and a co-worker heard something on the news. I can’t find it on any of the news websites.
I think on my old car, since I didn’t have collision coverage (not worth it), then I didn’t have glass coverage either. I can’t remember what I have with the new car, but I seem to remember that there was at least an option of cheaper premiums if you had a deductible on the glass.
Glass issue aside, my old car took plenty of paint damage from flying gravel…
Dave G. is correct. We do have an ordinance/law in the metro area (maybe the state also) that vehicles hauling anything are supposed to have a tarp covering up their crap.
There was a fatal accident long time ago in which the driver in the vehicle in back of a hauler had something plow through their windshield and he/she was killed as a result of flying debris.
Companies obeyed the law for a little while, but I see more and more companies not putting a tarp over their stuff.
I drive around these trucks as soon as I can. You can see the stuff, whether it’s minute or large flying off the trucks.
Is it going to take another death, before these companies comply with the law?
I have big issues with trucks that don’t contain their load. A few years ago when 694 was being rebuilt in Maple Grove, debris (mostly gravel and sand) blew from a center-dump truck and took a good chip out of my front bumper. The fact the truck was speeding didn’t help any. When I called the police they acted like I was bothering them. Had I been on a motorcycle I could have been killed or seriously injured.
As for rocks kicked up via tires, not much can be done about that and consider that nobody’s fault. I can’t fathom, however, motorcycle riders who don’t have a visor or something to protect their faces.
Just a reminder, even though insurance will cover your windshield if you have full coverage, this is not “free.” I grow weary of that attitude with people who use health insurance, car insurance, etc. without a second thought. We all pay for it in the end, insurance companies are for-profit. In the meantime, the careless company who didn’t tarp the truck gets off mostly free. I think we should write down the license plate, name of the company, and at least complain if we don’t have the police on our side.
After having two windshields replaced, my insurance rate changed. I save $47 each 6 months by accepting a $50 deductable on windshield replacement. This summer I have to replace two windshields again. so I end up spending $100 to save $47. I guess I gotta make it up $3 at a time for the next 26 years and hope no more glass needs to be replaced.
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