My PSA - Built-in sun shades

djma

New member
Scary moment today.

I drive a 2005 Honda Odyssey. I keep the built-in sun shades on the passenger doors up 90% of the time. If for some reason, one of my boys is in a captain's chair they will some times put it down to see better.

Well today it came in handy and they will never be put down again. I was driving home after running errands today. I was passing by a middle school where there was a lawncare company mowing the grass using those large ride-on lawnmowers. The next thing I heard was a loud pop sound and then my daugher screaming. I look back and apparently a rock had been slung up by the lawnmower and it busted my window.

I slammed on the breaks and pulled into a middle turning lane. I pushed the button to open the sliding door and heard glass falling even more. I closed the door quickly and decided to pull into the elementary school which was across the street.

I got out and went over to DD's side. When I got there, I broke down. Because if the sun shade had not been up, we would have a totally different outcome. Whatever hit the window would have hit my daughter as well as the glass. The sun shade kept my daughter protected. She was screaming and wouldn't calm down until I got her out. I put her in my youngest son's nautilus and drove home.

When I got home (and all of the insurance stuff was worked out) I started cleaning up some of the mess. When I pulled my daughters seat out, there were several pieces of glass -- but not much in comparison with what was all over the floor.

Needless to say, I will not allow these shades to be down again - they will constantly be pulled up.

So if your van or SUV has built in sun shades, please keep them up.

 
ADS

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I've always wondered how those would hold up to something hitting them! Good to know they're as sturdy as they look!
 

Louisa

CPST Instructor
Scary! I'm glad she is ok.

I'm confused though. Did you mean to say that you would always leave those shades DOWN?

i think she means up, those kind of shades roll up from the bottom and clip at the top so up is covering the window and down would be retracted in to the door ;)
 

Emi's Mommy

New member
A similar thing happened with my mom. A large rock came flying out from a riding lawn mower doing a city boulevard but it hit her door.

I'm glad your daughter is ok and I hope you don't have any problems with your insurance. She fought for months to get her deductible waived.
 

djma

New member
Yes, these shades are built in so they pull up and attach to little hooks. So I will always leave them up. :D

We will have no charge to replace the window - it's covered under our comprehensive. The owner of the lawncare company called and left DH a v/m apologizing and offering to pay any charges we needed them to.

The glass company cannot come out until tomorrow and of course it is supposed to storm tonight. We have it taped up with a garbage bag, but we're hoping that the rain is light and passes quickly.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Wow scary!

Either your sun shades are sturdier than mine, or your kids aren't evil monkeys, but my kid has broken both of them.
 

kaleigh71

New member
Scary, all the more reason I will be keeping ours up as well.


Wow scary!

Either your sun shades are sturdier than mine, or your kids aren't evil monkeys, but my kid has broken both of them.

Mine aren't broken but there is about a 2 inch tear at the top of one of them that goes across, and I'm constantly telling them not to play with them. I took a needle and thread to that torn area to try to secure it but I'm afraid if it goes down it might get stuck and tear the rest of the way. From what I've seen, it is several hundred dollars to replace!
 

kater-tot82

New member
Glad your daughter was okay! We have those in our Town and Country and they are typically up (the baby's always is, but my 8yo likes to put hers down for some reason). Even more reason to keep them up.

I have no issues seeing with them up at night.
 

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