Comments on: Stupid car radio thieves!!

Question: Stupid car radio thieves!!

echo0720 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:13:14 -0800

Will broken car window glass give my car a flat tire?

My car got broken into last night and they smashed my passenger window. My car was in my parking spot, and I tried to clean up glass with my hand vac and a broom, but it didn't pick a lot of it up, so I swept it to the side, near the curb. What are the chances of me getting a flat tire from this leftover broken window glass? And if they're high, do you have any additional recommendations as to how to clean it all up off of the gravel?

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:15:18 -0800

If you 've got steel radials (and you almost certainly do) the chance of it causing a flat is negligible. But it can still damage the tread, and reduce tire life.

By: aramaic

aramaic — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:16:32 -0800

If the pieces are little square-like chunks, you should be fine. Tidy it up, of course, but you won't have shards punching through or anything.

By: M.C. Lo-Carb!

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:22:24 -0800

Car window glass is designed to break in such a way that it won't flatten tires, or have sharp edges at all. If you just leave it there, a street sweeper will eventually pick it up, and it poses no real danger.

By: damn dirty ape

damn dirty ape — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:26:27 -0800

Car window glass is tempered safety glass. It'll break into little chunks that are mostly harmless. I wouldnt worry about it. Its metal that usually pops tires.

By: echo0720

echo0720 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:38:38 -0800

God, I'm such a girl for not knowing that! Thanks!

So annoying -- a $200 window replacement because some jackass wanted my $29 XM radio that's now useless because I had it deactivated and marked as stolen in XM's database!

By: eritain

eritain — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:43:58 -0800

Don't be harshin' on girls, now ...

By: eritain

eritain — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:44:10 -0800

... or God, I guess.

By: AlisonM

AlisonM — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 07:08:53 -0800

So annoying -- a $200 window replacement because some jackass wanted my $29 XM radio that's now useless because I had it deactivated and marked as stolen in XM's database!

I know this advice does nothing for you NOW, but...If you haven't already, see if you can add glass coverage to your insurance. It's a few bucks a month, and on my policy, it covers all glass 100%, for ANY reason. At first I didn't want to get it, but when a drunk started smashing windshields on my block (nothing stolen, just random idiocy), I was glad I had it. When I called in my claim, I just said, "someone smashed my windshield last night when it was parked," and it was taken care of by the end of the day. Hopefully you'll never need it again, but it's nice to know it's there.

By: rmtravis

rmtravis — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:22:38 -0800

My stereo was stolen a few months ago and the thieves broke the small triangle window on the back door. ( I have a chevy prism) and I just replaced the window with a piece of Lexan that I bought for 8 bucks at Home Depot. I had to cut it to size but the money I saved was worth it. Depending on which window was broken, that might work for you as well.