Section 305.34. Windshields.

 

(1)  Every motor vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1936, shall have a windshield made of safety glass. Such glass shall be plainly marked to identify it as safety glass or a certification from the glass supplier stating that the glass is approved safety glass shall be carried in the vehicle during operation or vehicle inspection, or both.

(2)  The windshield shall be of sufficient size to provide adequate protection for the driver and shall be in place when operating on a highway.

(3)  The windshield may not be excessively cracked or damaged. A windshield is excessively cracked or damaged if:

(a) The windshield has a crack inside, or which extends inside, the windshield critical area.

(b) The windshield has cracks which extend into any area more than 8 inches from the frame.

(c) The windshield has stone or shot damage with a diameter in excess of ½ inch in the windshield critical area or in excess of 1 ½ inches in diameter in any other area.

(4)  The windshield may not have etching, scratches, abrasion or repairs of any type which impair or distort vision within the windshield critical area.

(5)  The windshield may not have cloudiness or etching in excess of one inch around the outside edge on the driver's side or in excess of 2 inches on the passenger's side.

(6)  Nothing may be placed or suspended in or on the vehicle or windshield so as to obstruct the driver's clear vision through the windshield. There may not be any posters, stickers or other nontransparent material, other than a certificate or sticker issued by order of a governmental agency, located on the windshield or located between the driver and the windshield. This subsection does not prohibit the following:

(a) Attachment of an inside rearview mirror in accordance with s. Trans 305.26 .

(b) Windshields tinted by the manufacturer of the glazing and installed as part of the original manufacturing process.

(c) Application of window tinting film or other nontransparent material to the inside of the windshield if it is attached only to that portion of the windshield which is both outside the critical area and above the horizontal line delineated by the mark " A " or "A." If no such mark was affixed to the windshield by its manufacturer, no window tinting film may be attached to the windshield.

History: Cr. Register, February, 1996, No. 482 , eff. 3-1-96 ; reprinted to restore dropped copy, Register, February, 1997, No. 494 .