What is collision insurance?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Collision insurance is the part of your policy that pays for damage to your vehicle when it hits another vehicle or object. It covers crash damage to your car, including glass broken in a collision. A rock chip or a falling limb is not collision — that is comprehensive. Glass broken in a crash is usually dealt with under the collision claim.
What does collision insurance cover
Collision coverage pays to repair your vehicle when it is damaged in a crash — hitting another car, a guardrail, a pole, or rolling over. If your windshield or side glass breaks in that collision, the glass is usually repaired or replaced as part of the collision claim rather than a separate glass claim.
Collision does not cover glass damage from causes other than a crash. A rock chip from road debris, a windshield cracked by hail, or a side window broken in a break-in are comprehensive losses, not collision. The distinction matters because each coverage carries its own deductible and its own effect on the claim. See our guide on comprehensive versus collision insurance.
Lenders and lessors usually require collision coverage on a financed or leased vehicle, often alongside comprehensive. Once a vehicle is paid off, collision becomes optional, and some drivers drop it on an older car to lower their premium. The trade-off is that without collision, you pay for crash damage to your own vehicle out of pocket, including glass broken in a crash you caused.
Does collision cover a cracked windshield
Collision — crash damage
- Glass broken when your vehicle hits another car or object.
- A windshield cracked in a rollover or impact.
- Side glass shattered in a collision.
- Handled within the collision claim, subject to that deductible.
Comprehensive — non-crash damage
- A rock chip from road debris kicked up on the highway.
- A windshield cracked by hail or a falling tree limb.
- A side window smashed in a vandalism or break-in.
- A comprehensive glass claim, subject to that deductible.
If the glass broke in a crash, it is collision. If it broke from something else, it is comprehensive.
A rock chip is not collision
Road debris that cracks your windshield is a comprehensive claim, not a collision one, because your vehicle did not hit anything. Coverage depends on your policy, so confirm how a specific incident is classified with your insurer or agent.
More questions about collision coverage
Does collision cover a cracked windshield?
Only when the glass broke in a crash. A rock chip, hail, or a falling limb is comprehensive, not collision. Glass broken in a collision is usually handled within the collision claim. Confirm the classification with your insurer.
What is the difference between collision and comprehensive?
Collision pays for crash damage when your vehicle hits another car or object. Comprehensive pays for almost everything else — theft, hail, vandalism, and road debris. See our comprehensive versus collision guide.
Do I need both collision and comprehensive?
Lenders and lessors typically require both on a financed or leased vehicle. On a paid-off car, both are optional. Without comprehensive, glass damage comes out of your own pocket. Coverage depends on your policy, so check with your insurer or agent.
Related guides
More in Insurance and claims
- Does a windshield chip repair count as an insurance claim?
- What happens if you chip the windshield on a rental car?
- Is it worth paying cash for a windshield instead of filing a claim?
- Does insurance cover windshield replacement?
- Does liability insurance cover windshield damage?
- What is full glass coverage?
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