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Hippo and meteorite shower listed in wackiest things to damage windscreens in 2016

Autoglass has revealed its top 10 list of wackiest things to damage car windscreens in 2016, including hippos and a rare meteorite shower.

windscreen

The most common cause of unexpected damage is stones and loose road surfaces.

The glass repair and replacement specialist asked customers for the causes of windscreen chips and cracks and uncovered a peculiar array of projectiles and damage-causing debris including bouncing onions, innocuous tiny sweets and a coconut.

The top 10 list covers:

A hippo falling on the screen
An inquisitive safari park camel
A rogue cooking oil drum
A misguided attempt to hoover car park tickets off the screen
A toddler’s temper tantrum
A dare-devil bee
A rare meteorite shower
A squirrel holding a hazel nut that landed nut first
Flying fish
A fast-recovering heron with an odd flight path

The most common cause of unexpected damage is stones and loose road surfaces (29%), with many screens falling victim to chippings from roadworks. This is followed by general mishaps (25%), ‘mysterious’ cracks which appear without warning often due to temperature changes (16%), animal-related damage (15%) and relatively rare occurrences of vandalism (5%).

Avoidable motoring pitfalls that caused damage including cranking up heaters on frosty mornings, make-shift ice scrapers or cold newly topped up screen wash on a sweltering day.

Taxiarchis Konstantopoulos, managing director, Autoglass, commented: “In these winter months, motorists need to be extra careful on the roads and with their vehicles. Take time to defrost screens correctly; rushing this process using the wrong tools or pouring water straight from the kettle can cause damage that can cost more time and money to rectify.

“Be sure to defrost thoroughly before setting off so visibility isn’t restricted – as our data shows there are plenty of hazards out there! Every windscreen chip will eventually become a crack, so it’s important to get them fixed right away.”

 

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.