Anyone who is licensed to drive knows that there are numerous traffic rules that he or she has to follow to stay safe and avoid accidents. In addition to those rules, motorists are also required to know and follow laws relating to the equipment of their vehicle. One area that is important is the windshield. Below are the windshield laws in Virginia, that all drivers must follow.

Windshield requirements

Virginia has a few different requirements for windshields:

• Vehicles manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1970 are required to have windshields.
• Safety glass, which is made up of at least two sheets of glass with glazing material between them, is required on all vehicles assembled or manufactured after January 1, 1936.
• All vehicles equipped with windshields must also have windshield wipers that cleans the glass of rain and other types of moisture. The wipers must be under the control of the driver and in good working condition.
• All vehicles with a windshield are required to have a working defroster.

Cracks, chips, and defects

• Scratches larger than 6 inches by ¼ inch within the area cleared by the wipers are not permitted.
• Star cracks, chips, and pits larger than 1-1/2 inches in diameter are not permitted anywhere on the windshield above the bottom three inches of the glass.
• Multiple cracks from the same area with anyone being larger than 1-1/2 inches long are not permitted.
• Multiple cracks starting from a star crack that are above the bottom three inches of the windshield are not permitted.

Violations

Drivers who fail to comply with the above windshield laws may face fines starting at $81 for each offense. Additionally, any vehicle that is not in compliance with these rules will not pass the required annual inspections.