Is it safe to drive with a shattered back window?

Driving with a shattered back window is safe only for a short, slow trip once loose glass is cleared, the side mirrors give you a view behind and the opening is covered. On an SUV, hatchback or van, an open rear also pulls exhaust into the cabin, so set the fan to fresh air and crack the front windows.

A back window rarely breaks at a convenient moment. It goes in a parking lot break-in, from a rock kicked up on the highway or with a bang when the hatch closes, and the next question is whether the car can get you home or to work.

The answer depends less on how bad it looks and more on three things: what is still hanging in the frame, what kind of vehicle it is, and how far and how fast you need to go.

Before anything else, look at the edges of the frame. Tempered back glass that is still clinging to the seal can drop in sheets over the first bump, so that is the glass to deal with before the car moves.

When is it safe to drive with a shattered back window?

It is reasonably safe to drive with a shattered back window when no glass is hanging in the frame, the side mirrors are adjusted and the trip is short and on city streets. Highway speed, rain, night driving or an open rear on an SUV each raise the risk enough to wait for the replacement.

Can exhaust fumes get into the car through a broken back window?

Exhaust fumes can get into the car through a broken back window, especially on an SUV, hatchback or van where the glass sits close to the tailpipe. The CDC’s carbon monoxide guidance warns that when only the tailgate is open, carbon monoxide from the exhaust is pulled into the vehicle.

A missing back glass works the same way: air rushing past the rear of the car drags exhaust into the opening. Carbon monoxide has no smell or color, and the CDC counts more than 400 deaths a year in the U.S. from unintentional poisoning not linked to fires.

• Set the ventilation to outside air, not recirculate, with the fan on;
• Open the front windows a few inches so air flows out through the front of the car;
• Cover the opening as tightly as you can before a longer drive;
• Do not sit in the car with the engine idling and the rear open;
• Stop and get fresh air at the first headache, dizziness or nausea.

Kids in the third row of an SUV sit closest to the open rear and the exhaust. If the back glass is gone, move them forward or leave the trip for after the replacement.

Is it legal to drive with a broken back window in Texas?

Texas law does not name back glass, but it does require a working rear view. Under Transportation Code Section 547.602, a vehicle must have a mirror that shows the driver the road at least 200 feet behind, so with the back window covered or blocked, the side mirrors have to do that job.

Loose glass, a flapping cover or a rear view you cannot use can also fall under the state’s broader rule against driving an unsafe vehicle. That same rule, and how officers apply it to damaged glass, is explained in the Texas law on driving with damaged glass.

Does a backup camera replace the rear window?

A backup camera does not replace the rear window for driving, because it is built for backing up. Federal rules made a rearview image required on new cars and SUVs built on or after May 1, 2018, and FMVSS 111 tests it with objects placed up to about 20 feet behind the bumper.

That is far short of the 200 feet the Texas mirror rule asks for at speed. Use the camera for parking, and rely on properly adjusted side mirrors for lane changes until the glass is back.

Set each side mirror so the side of the car just disappears from the inner edge. That widens what you see behind and beside you, which is the view the missing back window used to give through the inside mirror.

How do you cover a shattered back window for the drive?

You cover a shattered back window for the drive by clearing the loose glass first and then taping heavy plastic to the body so it stays tight. A cover that flaps is worse than no cover, since it blocks the mirrors, makes noise and tears at speed.

1. Put on gloves and pull out any pieces still hanging from the seal;
2. Vacuum the rear seat, the shelf or the cargo area so glass does not slide forward when you brake;
3. Cut heavy plastic larger than the opening and tape it to the body on all four sides, using painter’s tape on the paint;
4. Keep the cover clear of the license plate, the third brake light and any rear camera;
5. Check both side mirrors from the driver’s seat before pulling out.

If the window broke in a break-in, the photos and police report come before the cleanup, in the order laid out in what to do after a car break-in in Austin.

What else breaks when the back glass shatters?

When the back glass shatters, the defroster grid and often the radio antenna go with it, because both are printed or embedded in the glass. On hatchbacks and SUVs, the rear wiper and its seal are attached to the glass too.

Tempered back glass breaks all at once into small pieces, so there is nothing to repair. The replacement has to match the defroster connectors, antenna leads, wiper hole and any brackets of the original, which is also why a rear window glass replacement is ordered by the exact model and trim.

Back glass is bonded to the body with urethane like a windshield, so it is not a driveway DIY job the way some door glass can be. The difference between the two is covered in whether you can replace a car side window yourself.

Ask whether the new glass includes the defroster and antenna connections for your trim. A quote that fits the opening but skips those connectors leaves you with a clear window that will not defog on the first cold, wet morning.

How soon should you replace a shattered back window?

You should replace a shattered back window the same day or the next, because every drive with an open rear adds exhaust, weather and theft risk. Seven Auto Glass replaces back glass at your home or work, vacuums the glass out of the cabin and cargo area, and works with all insurance companies.

A shattered back window is a short-trip problem, not a commute: on an SUV or hatchback the open rear draws exhaust into the cabin, so the safest drive is the one that waits for the glass.

Because the new glass is bonded, the car has to sit for the adhesive’s drive-away time before the next trip. Why the back glass usually costs more than a windshield, from the defroster to the shape, is explained in why a rear windshield costs more than the front.

Frequently asked questions about driving with a shattered back window

These answers cover what Austin drivers ask when the rear glass is gone and the car still has to get somewhere.

Can I get pulled over for a broken back window in Texas?

You can get pulled over for a broken back window in Texas if the damage makes the car unsafe or leaves you without a usable rear view. State law requires a mirror showing the road at least 200 feet behind, so keep both side mirrors adjusted, clear loose glass and replace the window as soon as possible.

How long can I drive with a shattered back window?

You should drive with a shattered back window only as long as it takes to get the car home or to a safe place, ideally a day or less. An open rear lets exhaust, rain and road dirt into the cabin and makes the car easy to break into again. Schedule the replacement for the same day.

Is it safe to drive on the highway with plastic over the back window?

Driving on the highway with plastic over the back window is not a good idea, because wind pressure at highway speed flaps and tears the cover, blocks the mirrors and makes noise that distracts the driver. Keep a covered back window to short trips on city streets and plan the replacement before any highway drive.

Why did my back window shatter for no reason?

A back window that shatters for no clear reason usually had a small chip or edge damage that let built-in stress release, often after a temperature change, a slammed hatch or a bump. Tempered glass fails all at once instead of cracking slowly. A rock hit from days earlier is a common hidden cause.

Does insurance cover a shattered back window?

Insurance usually covers a shattered back window under comprehensive coverage when it breaks from a rock, vandalism or a break-in, depending on your policy and deductible. Compare the deductible with the replacement quote before filing, since a claim for a window that costs less than the deductible pays nothing.

What decides whether you can drive with a shattered back window

Whether you can drive with a shattered back window comes down to loose glass, the vehicle type and the trip. With the frame cleared, mirrors set and a short trip in town, it can be done; an SUV with the rear open, a highway or rain is the point to stop and replace the glass first.

Picture a parent in Leander whose SUV back glass shatters in a school pickup line. The loose glass comes out with gloves, the kids ride in the second row with the fan on fresh air and the front windows open a few inches, the five-minute drive home stays off the toll road, and the new glass goes in at the house that afternoon.