A chip the size of a pencil eraser doesn't feel like a safety problem from the driver's seat. It feels like something to deal with at the next scheduled service. Inspectors don't weigh it that way, and the gap between how it feels and how it's recorded is the reason this violation deserves a closer look.
Violation 393.60(c), described as "Windshield - Damaged or Discolored," falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. The record I'm working from shows 220,781 violations of this code against 220,377 inspections, with 217 recorded as out-of-service. That puts the OOS rate at about 0.1%. Read that number correctly. Getting cited for it is common. Getting ordered off the road for it is rare. You can see the full entry on the violation page.
What the rule is really about
The regulation sits in Part 393, which covers parts and accessories necessary for safe operation. I won't paraphrase the exact dimensions and locations here, because the wording matters and it's easy to misremember. Read the current text in the eCFR entry for 393.60 before you settle any disagreement on the shop floor.
In practice, inspectors look at two things: whether there is cracking or damage, and whether that damage or discoloration sits in the area the wipers sweep. A chip off to the side of the driver's view is treated differently from one in the wiper path. Film, stickers, or tint that darken the swept area can also draw attention, so check those too.
Why an out-of-service call depends on the condition
The code itself is not flagged as an automatic out-of-service violation in this data (the OOS indicator is false). Yet 217 instances were still recorded as OOS. That tells you the decision is made from the condition the inspector finds, measured against the criteria, not from the code number alone. Two chips that look similar on paper can lead to different outcomes depending on size, location, and whether the damage is spreading.
That's a useful thing to know. It means you can't rely on "it's only a windshield" as a judgment call on your own. Document the condition, get it repaired on a schedule, and don't let a crack that's growing sit through several inspections.
How the citation flows into your score
Here is where many managers lose track. This violation is used in SMS, and it carries a severity weight of 1. The score is not just the severity. The calculator applies a time weight based on how old the violation is:
- 0 to 6 months: weight 3
- 6 to 12 months: weight 2
- 12 to 24 months: weight 1
- Over 24 months: weight 0
So a windshield citation from last month is weighted much more heavily than the same citation from a year ago. Once it passes 24 months, it stops contributing. The calculator also caps severity at 30 per inspection per BASIC, so one bad inspection can't push a score without limit.
The practical point: a cheap, quick repair today reduces your exposure for two years. A postponed one keeps weighing on you while you wait.
A short pre-trip routine that catches most of it
- Run the wipers and washers before every trip, with the blades in place and the fluid working.
- Look at the windshield from the driver's seat with the sun at the angle it will be on the road. Chips and cracks show up in glare.
- Check the swept area first. Anything inside the wiper path gets priority.
- Note new chips in the DVIR, with a date, so you have a record if the damage spreads.
- Schedule glass repair before a chip reaches the edge of a crack. Repair usually costs far less than replacement.
- Keep receipts for glass work. A dated repair record is the simplest defense if an inspector questions the condition.
Key takeaways
- Code 393.60(c) carries a severity weight of 1 and is used in SMS under Vehicle Maintenance.
- Across the recorded counts, about 0.1% of these violations ended in an out-of-service order, so the risk is mostly citation volume and score exposure.
- Damage inside the wiper-swept area is what draws the most attention.
- Time weight drops off over 24 months, so timely repair limits how long the citation counts.
- Check the current eCFR text rather than relying on memory.
If you want to see how a single citation like this moves a carrier's numbers over time, the calculator lets you enter your own inspection history and watch the time weights change. For unfamiliar terms like BASIC or OOS, the glossary covers them.