By Low Price Auto Glass · Updated October 22, 2026
Stay focused while you are moving
A stone striking the glass at highway speed can sound like a gunshot. The instinct is to look for the damage, reach toward the windshield or pick up a phone. Do none of those. Keep your lane, keep your following distance and stay aware of the traffic around you. The chip will still be there when you can stop.
If the impact left a large crack or obstructed your view, take the next safe exit, a parking lot or another suitable spot rather than the shoulder of a busy highway. Decide about continuing only after you have looked at the damage from a safe position, and do not rely on an online guide to tell you that driving is fine.
What to do once you are parked
Look at the glass from outside and from the driver’s seat. Note where the damage sits relative to your line of sight and whether it touches the edge of the windshield. Do not press on the chip, scrape it or pick at it, and do not tap it to see whether it is a crack. Debris and skin oils can contaminate the break, which can make a later resin repair harder.
If the area is wet, leave it alone. If dirt or water is inside the chip, tell the technician when you call. A clear piece of tape over the impact point is sometimes suggested to keep moisture and dirt out, but ask the shop before applying anything, and never use glue, nail polish or other household products.
Take photos that help the shop
Take one wide photo of the whole windshield from outside and one close photo of the damage. If you can, include the mirror area, since cameras and sensors may sit there. A second close photo from inside the car can show whether the break has more than one layer of damage. Tell us when it happened, roughly how big it looks and whether you have seen it change since.
Photos help us plan, but they do not settle repairability. Depth, contamination and the exact position can only be judged on the glass. That is why we usually pair a phone conversation with an in-person assessment before recommending repair or replacement.
Why you should not wait for a small mark to grow
Repair and replacement are different jobs, and the condition of the glass decides which one fits. Resin repair is designed for suitable damage, and it works best before the break has collected dirt and moisture or spread. Waiting does not make a chip better. Road vibration, a pothole, another impact or a change in temperature can all affect existing damage, and nobody can predict the exact moment it will extend.
Quick temperature swings are worth special care. Do not blast a hot defroster at a frozen windshield, and never pour hot water on cold glass. If a chip is in your line of sight or near the edge, treat it as a priority. Tell the shop whether you used a repair kit, since earlier resin can limit the options.
Nashville interstates and the stones they throw
Nashville sits where I-24, I-40 and I-65 come together, and the metro sees constant freight, commuter and construction traffic. Heavy trucks, gravel and work zones are part of driving here, and most drivers will take a hit eventually. No driving habit can promise you will never get a chip, but you can lower the odds a little by leaving extra room behind trucks, especially dump trucks and anything with an open load, and by slowing down through fresh paving or loose-gravel zones.
Keep your following distance generous and avoid unsafe lane changes to dodge small debris. A chip is annoying, but a sudden swerve in traffic is a far bigger problem. Spring and fall bring both stormy and temperature-swing days across Middle Tennessee, so a chip that arrives on a commute is worth checking before the next long trip.
Getting a quote and an appointment
Send the year, make and model, plus the photos described above. If replacement might be needed, a VIN and details about cameras, rain sensors or a head-up display help us identify the right glass. For a repair, tell us whether it is a single chip or several and whether the damage is near the edge.
Call before you drive to the shop at 7106 Centennial Blvd so we can confirm the appointment, and ask about mobile service if the car is at home or work. Mobile availability depends on the job, the address and the conditions, and the quote form on our site is a good way to start. Ask for the repair option if it is suitable and a separate replacement estimate if it is not, and keep both in writing.
Myths about rock chips
One common belief is that a chip smaller than a coin is always harmless. Size matters, but depth, location and contamination matter too, and a small chip near the edge or in your line of sight can be a bigger problem than a larger chip elsewhere. Another belief is that a chip can wait until it spreads. Waiting does not improve a chip, and a repair is generally most effective before dirt and moisture get into it.
A third idea is that a chip is only a cosmetic issue. Even if the damage does not change how you drive, it is a weak point in a part of the car that you rely on for visibility. Cameras and sensors behind the windshield can also be affected by damage in their field of view. Ask the technician what the damage means for your particular vehicle instead of relying on rules of thumb.
What a repair visit looks like
A technician checks the damage, cleans the area and uses repair equipment to introduce resin into suitable breaks, then cures it. The goal is to stabilize the damage and improve its appearance. A faint mark can remain, and the result depends on the break. Ask what is realistic before you approve the work, and ask what happens if the repair cannot achieve an acceptable result.
Repair visits are typically much shorter than a replacement, but we do not promise timing without seeing the glass. If you are on a tight schedule, say so when you call, and we will tell you what is practical.
When damage is near sensors or cameras
If the chip is close to the mirror area, tell us. Many vehicles carry a camera or sensor there, and damage in that area can raise questions beyond appearance. Do not remove covers or touch the camera. If replacement is needed, ask how any camera procedure will be handled and what documentation you receive.
Photos from inside the car, including the area around the mirror, help us identify what is on the glass before you arrive.
If replacement turns out to be the answer
Sometimes the answer is replacement, either because the damage is too large, too close to the edge or in the wrong location, or because it has already spread. In that case ask the shop to explain why repair is not suitable, to confirm the correct windshield for your vehicle and to describe any camera procedure the manufacturer requires. A complete estimate should show the glass, the installation and any added procedure so you can compare it fairly.
Plan for the adhesive release time too. A replacement visit is longer than a quick chip repair, and the vehicle should stay parked until the release time your installer gives you.
