We’ve all been there. You’re driving along when you hear something hit your windscreen. You might even spot the stone or chip from the road fly up and make contact. Often, especially if it’s hit the edge of the windscreen, you think you’ve got away with it.

But, sure enough, on closer inspection when you reach your destination you discover a small chip. Sometimes you won’t even have realised it’s happened but then one day you’ll notice that tell-tale imperfection in the glass. 

So, how do you repair a chip in your windscreen? Firstly, don’t attempt to fix it yourself! It’s really important that you use a professional windshield repair service. 

Why should you get your windscreen repaired, even if it’s only a small chip that’s outside your line of vision as the driver? The main reason is because a small chip can very quickly turn into a spidery windscreen crack – and then you have a much bigger problem!

Aside from any other reasons to carry out a timely repair, as soon as your windscreen cracks, you’ll need to completely replace it. That means a relatively simple and cheap job turns into a more expensive and challenging one.

But as the RAC points out, the windscreen is an integral part of your vehicle’s structure. If it’s damaged, it may not perform as well as it should in the event that you are involved in a collision.

What’s more, your mechanic will be on the lookout for any chips or other damage to your windshield during your vehicle’s annual MOT. Depending on where the chip is and how big it is, this could even result in a failed MOT. 

An MOT takes into account how obscured your vision might be as a driver. Any issue that prevents you from clearly seeing the road could therefore lead to a fail. The point is, you will have to fix any chips for your MOT, so you may as well get them repaired now. 

The other, perhaps more compelling reason it’s very important that you deal with any windscreen chips as you notice them is for the safety of both you and your passengers. 

So, a chip in your windscreen might seem like a minor inconvenience, but don’t forget that it can turn into a much bigger problem if left unaddressed.