Understanding windshield damage

Your windshield is laminated: two layers of glass bonded to a clear plastic layer in between. When something strikes it, the outer layer usually takes the damage while the inner layer stays intact. The shape of that damage tells a technician a lot.

Common types

You'll often hear these terms:

• Bullseye — a round, cone-shaped mark, often with a dark circle
• Star break — a small impact point with short cracks radiating outward
• Combination break — a bullseye with star legs coming off it
• Crack — a line that runs across the glass, sometimes from an old impact point

Why small breaks turn into cracks

Temperature swings, road vibration, and pressure changes from slamming doors all stress the edges of a small break. Atlanta's chilly winter mornings followed by blasting the defroster are a classic way for a small break to run.