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When you hear the aggravating sound of a stone hitting your windshield and you subsequently notice a small mark left by the airborne stone, your first inclination might be to simply ignore the issue – especially if the mark is small or not directly in your line of sight. It can certainly be easy to shrug off dealing with this issue, especially if you lead a busy life and hardly want to think about scheduling an appointment at your local auto glass shop. However, failing to tend to the chip in your windshield in a timely manner can lead to complications in several regards. Here are three of them.

Likelihood Of The Chip Spreading

Not only will small chip in your windshield not go away if you ignore it, it's almost guaranteed to grow in size. This means that what could otherwise be a quick repair job will turn into the need for a complete windshield replacement. A number of environmental and driving-related situations can affect the size of the chip. This list includes extreme changes in temperature, excessive vibrations on bumpy roads and even the sudden impact of you slamming your door or trunk. Dealing with the chip promptly will avoid these complications.

Possible Ticket Risk

The spread of a windshield chip into a large crack does more than just compromise your vision of what's in front of you – although this is certainly a concern, especially if the crack is large and positioned right in your line of sight. You might also find the crack hurting you in the wallet. If a police officer spots you driving with a cracked windshield and, in his or her opinion, the damage is impeding your visibility behind the wheel, you can find yourself on the receiving end of a traffic ticket.

Risk Of Insurance Hike

As mentioned, an unattended chip will eventually turn into a crack that requires a windshield replacement. As an isolated incident, you don't have to worry about the replacement causing your car insurance rate to increase. Typically, your provider will pay for the replacement cost and you won't be out of pocket. However, if you've had the misfortune of multiple windshield replacements in a short span – three glass claims in three years, for some insurance providers – you can be looking at a mandated increase in your insurance deductible the next time your policy is renewed. It's far better to simply deal with the issue in a timely manner and avoid all these complications.

Find an auto glass repair technician in your area sooner rather than later.