I am doing an unscientific survey of driving habits in relation to car damage from thrown rocks to paint and windsheild.

To those with damage.......how many car lengths do you allow ahead of you at 70 miles per hour?

Just wonder if there is a correlation.

I am also thinking of those with many small nicks in the front paint. Following closely may be subjecting the front end to a scouring of small sand and stone debris that you wouldn't actually hear and therefore be unaware of until later inspection.

Thanks for your help,

Sean

i guess it all depends on what road you're driving on and who you're following. I try to stay far back from most cars but it still doesn't help IMO. I still have the marks on the front to show for it. the only way to prevent it is a clear bra or a full front mask bra.

with in 3 weeks of driving, there are 2 rock chips on my car. One on my bumper and one on my hood. What sucks even more is that they are black on my polar white xA. I bought some touch up paint and a model paint brush...but I'm scared I might fubar it.... Anyone have any suggestions?

with in 3 weeks of driving, there are 2 rock chips on my car. One on my bumper and one on my hood. What sucks even more is that they are black on my polar white xA. I bought some touch up paint and a model paint brush...but I'm scared I might fubar it.... Anyone have any suggestions?

Ouch...thats bad.

So as far by my "study". How many car lengths do you allow?

Sean

About two weeks out i got a rock chip on the window coming back from vegas in the lane NEXT to a big rig, i was passing him and it was at night, i heard it but didn't see anything so i though "whatever" next day i had about a 12 inch gash on my window! about 4-5 weeks after that i get tagged AGAIN (good thing i didnt replace the windshield just then) and got ANOTHER chip. . .dont know where that one came from. ..i was about 2-3 cars easy behind the car ahead of me . .now im paranoid about changing the glass AT ALL. sheesh, i CANNOT imagine paying 5-600 for a new windshield to crack 2 weeks later! oh, and AAA insurance doesnt offer windshield replacement insurance or else id have it!

Rafael

I have two chips on the bumper and I allow as much space in front of me as I can. I don't do a lot of freeway driving, but it seems that every road trip causes another chip to appear.

The large painted front area of a Scion seems to be a factor as well. More area will naturally result in more chips. My old Datsun 510 had a chrome bumper, grille and chrome edges on the hood. leaving only two narrow strips of painted area to chip. The Scion has at least five times the painted area to chip.

Windshield glass seems to be softer than it was in the Olde Dayes. With 7000 miles on the car, the number of minute chips on the Scion's windshield is significant. Kind of disappointing, as the windshield of my VW bus has about the same level of chipping at nearly 300K miles. I have a feeling that the Scion windshield will be a regular-replacement item.

You should also pay attention to region. I have only gotten one large windshield chip in many years of living in SoCal, but I seem to get one on every trip to Montana and Wyoming. They use much larger gravel on the roads there, and there are also lots of pickups and SUVs to kick up the big chunks. I would dread driving a Scion regularly in these states!

George