---
title: "Windshield Chip: When a Crack Puts a Driver at Risk of a 340-Hryvnia Fine"
description: "RBC-Ukraine clarified the rules: a crack in the windshield in the driver's wiper zone is prohibited and carries a 340-hryvnia fine, while other zones have permissible size limits."
date: 2026-08-20T04:20:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/windshield-chip-when-a-crack-puts-a-driver-at-risk-of-a-340-hryvnia-fine
tags: [windshield-crack, traffic-fine, car-inspection, ukraine-traffic-rules, koap]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Windshield Chip: When a Crack Puts a Driver at Risk of a 340-Hryvnia Fine

![Driver at the wheel of a car with a chip and crack on the windshield that may result in a fine](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/20/skol-na-lobovom-stekle-shtraf-voditelyu/skol-na-lobovom-stekle-shtraf-voditelyu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- In the wiper operating zone on the driver's side, chips and cracks on the windshield are not allowed at all.
- In other zones of the glass, separate permissible damage sizes apply, and combined damage is prohibited.
- For operating a vehicle with a prohibited defect under Art. 121 of the Code on Administrative Offenses, a fine of 20 non-taxable minimums — 340 hryvnias — is prescribed.

A small chip in the windshield often seems like a trivial matter to drivers, but its size and, more importantly, its location have a direct bearing on whether the vehicle may legally continue to be used. As RBC-Ukraine reports, citing the current requirements for inspecting the design and technical condition of vehicles, as well as the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, not every crack automatically makes driving the car prohibited. The key criterion is the zone in which the damage is located.

### The Wiper Operating Zone: Where Driving Is Not Allowed

The current technical requirements set separate rules for damage to the windshield. In particular, chips and cracks are not allowed at all in the wiper operating zone on the driver's side. This is logical: it is precisely this part of the glass that directly affects the driver's visibility, so any damage here creates a safety risk. Therefore, the common rule of thumb that 'a crack up to 5 cm is fine to drive with' does not always hold: if such a crack is located in the wiper operating zone on the driver's side, it is still not permitted.

### Permissible Sizes in Other Zones of the Glass

For other zones of the windshield where the damage does not fall within the wiper operating zone on the driver's side, separate permissible sizes apply. In other words, the situation 'there is a small crack on the glass' by itself does not answer whether a violation exists — you need to look at exactly where the damage is and whether it fits within the allowed parameters. In addition, combined damage of one or different types is not permitted, which further narrows the list of acceptable glass conditions.

### Liability Under Article 121 of the Code on Administrative Offenses

Article 121 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses provides for liability for operating a vehicle that has technical defects with which its use is prohibited. For such a violation, a fine of 20 non-taxable minimums of citizens' income is prescribed, which amounts to 340 hryvnias. At the same time, for the fine to be imposed, it is important whether the specific damage is precisely such a defect with which the vehicle may not be operated, rather than simply the presence of any scratch on the glass.

### What a Driver Should Do After a Stone Impact

If a crack appears on the windshield after a stone impact or other damage, the first thing to do is assess its location and size. If the damage is in the wiper operating zone on the driver's side, it does not meet the established technical requirements and operating the vehicle with it is prohibited. If the crack is located in another part of the glass, you need to check whether it fits within the permissible sizes. Thus, a driver should not rely solely on how large the crack appears to be: it is the location, type, and size of the damage that determine whether the condition of the windshield meets the established requirements.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Driving with a cracked windshield: when a driver may be fined](https://auto.rbc.ua/ukr/news/yizdite-trisnutim-lobovim-sklom-koli-vodiya-1787169427.html) - Основной источник: правила по зонам стекла, запрет в зоне стеклоочистителя, ст. 121 КУоАП, штраф 340 гривен (20 НМД).
- [Why a car's windshield cracks in winter](https://auto.mail.ru/article/116886-ekspert-trushkova-obyasnila-pochemu-zimoj-lopaetsya-lobovoe-steklo-u-avtomobilya/) - Подтверждено по источнику auto.mail.ru
- [A crack in the glass is not a reason for a fine: how the law gives drivers more freedom than it seems](https://www.pravda.ru/news/auto/2305320-cracked_windshield_rules/) - Контекстный источник по теме допустимости трещин; не противоречит основной версии, но не использован для конкретных цифр штрафа.
- [The smarter the car, the more expensive the crack: how technology drives up windshield prices](https://www.pravda.ru/news/auto/2300341-windshield-replacement-cost/) - Контекстный источник по теме допустимости трещин; не противоречит основной версии, но не использован для конкретных цифр штрафа.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Can you drive with a crack in the windshield?
**A:** It depends on the location. In the wiper operating zone on the driver's side, cracks and chips are not allowed at all. In other zones, permissible sizes apply, and combined damage is prohibited.

### Q: What fine is imposed for driving with a cracked windshield?
**A:** Under Article 121 of the Code on Administrative Offenses, a fine of 20 non-taxable minimums of citizens' income — 340 hryvnias — is prescribed for operating a vehicle with a prohibited technical defect.

### Q: Why doesn't the rule 'a crack up to 5 cm is fine to drive with' always work?
**A:** Because if such a crack is located in the wiper operating zone on the driver's side, it is not permitted regardless of its size.