PHOENIX -
Rock-shattered windshields are such a common occurrence on Arizona roads that insurance companies have long been required to replace broken glass for free to drivers with full coverage policies.
It ends up being a big expense to insurance companies that have to pay all the claims, and now they want to eliminate the requirement.
Legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. Karen Fann of Prescott removes the decades-old requirement that insurers offer zero-deductible glass replacement. Instead, Senate Bill 1169 lets insurers charge a deductible for glass repair.
It is the latest effort by the insurance industry that targets auto glass repair companies. Auto glass replacement firms are everywhere in the state because of the high rate of breakage due to heat and rocks and guaranteed free replacement.
Arizona Auto Glass Association President Rex Altree said Monday that drivers will forego fixing cracked windshields that are safety hazard if the bill passes. He also says hundreds of companies could go out of business, and it could costs thousands of jobs.
Altree runs a Tempe-based auto glass replacement company, SafePro Auto Glass. He said the state's extreme heat makes glass easier to crack or chip and that, combined with the prevalence of rocks in the desert landscape, leads to much of the breakage.
Rock-shattered windshields are such a common occurrence on Arizona roads that insurance companies have long been required to replace broken glass for free to drivers with full coverage policies.
It ends up being a big expense to insurance companies that have to pay all the claims, and now they want to eliminate the requirement.
Legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. Karen Fann of Prescott removes the decades-old requirement that insurers offer zero-deductible glass replacement. Instead, Senate Bill 1169 lets insurers charge a deductible for glass repair.
It is the latest effort by the insurance industry that targets auto glass repair companies. Auto glass replacement firms are everywhere in the state because of the high rate of breakage due to heat and rocks and guaranteed free replacement.
Arizona Auto Glass Association President Rex Altree said Monday that drivers will forego fixing cracked windshields that are safety hazard if the bill passes. He also says hundreds of companies could go out of business, and it could costs thousands of jobs.
Altree runs a Tempe-based auto glass replacement company, SafePro Auto Glass. He said the state's extreme heat makes glass easier to crack or chip and that, combined with the prevalence of rocks in the desert landscape, leads to much of the breakage.
Read More: http://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/insurers-pushing-bill-cutting-required-auto-glass-coverage
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