Tucson · guide · checked October 2026
Rock from a truck hit your windshield?
A loaded truck, a sharp crack, and a star in the glass. Arizona has a law about loads that fall off trucks, but it works differently from what most people expect. Here is what it says, what to write down, and how the windshield gets paid for.
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A.R.S. § 28-1098
What Arizona's load law says
Arizona's load statute, A.R.S. § 28-1098, says a vehicle may not be driven on a highway unless it is "constructed or loaded in a manner to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping." It also requires the load, and any tarp or cover over it, to be fastened so neither can come loose.
Three things are carved out. Sand may be dropped on purpose for traction. Water or another substance may be sprinkled to clean or maintain the road. Minor pieces of farm material, such as leaves and stems from an agricultural load, are allowed. A vehicle being used for agricultural purposes on a farm is outside the section altogether.
The penalties
Fines set by the statute
These are civil penalties that a court can impose on the driver. They are the state's business, not a payment to you.
| Situation | Civil penalty, up to |
|---|---|
| First violation in sixty months, no accident | 250 dollars |
| Second or later violation in sixty months | 350 dollars |
| Violation causing an accident with serious physical injury | 500 dollars |
| Violation causing an accident with a death | 1,000 dollars |
The statute does not set out a payment to the owner of a damaged car. Getting a windshield paid for by a truck's owner is a separate claim, covered below.
Around Tucson
Where gravel and mine traffic runs
South of the city, I-19 is the road to watch. It is the interstate that signs its distances in kilometres, so its exit numbers run higher than you might guess, while the speed limits stay in miles per hour. Between Tucson and Green Valley it passes Pima Mine Road at exit 80, Sahuarita Road at exit 75 and Duval Mine Road at exit 69. Sahuarita is home to the Asarco Mission Complex mine, one of the town's biggest employers, and mine and gravel traffic uses the I-19 corridor around those exits.
East of I-19, Sahuarita Road carries the same kind of traffic toward the southeast side. In town, the I-10 rebuild between Kino Parkway and Country Club Road brings dump trucks and aggregate haulers onto the freeway itself, which our I-10 construction guide covers in detail.
Not every stone comes from a load. Tyres pick up gravel from shoulders, wash crossings and construction entrances and throw it backwards at highway speed. That is part of why the law looks at what escapes from the load, and why a claim against a truck can be hard to prove.
In the moment
What to capture when it happens
Only when you can do it safely. Nothing on this list is worth a second crash.
- The company name and any unit number on the truck door or trailer, and the plate if you can read it. A passenger can do this; the driver should not.
- Whether the load was covered, and what it looked like: gravel, rock, dirt, sand, scrap.
- The road, the direction and the nearest exit or cross street, such as I-19 northbound near the Sahuarita Road exit.
- The time. A dashcam clip with a time stamp is worth more than anything you remember later.
- Photos of the glass once you have pulled off somewhere safe, close up and from a few feet back.
- If the truck stops, its driver's name and insurance details, the same as after any collision.
Who pays for the glass
Two places a claim can go
Your own comprehensive coverage
The simpler route for most drivers. If you added Arizona's full glass option, a covered windshield is often $0 out of pocket. If you did not, your deductible applies. We check which before booking, and help you file if you go ahead.
The truck owner's insurer
Possible when you know who owned the truck and can show the damage came from its load. You or your insurer would make that claim against the owner or its liability insurer. It tends to work best with a company name, a plate and video.
Neither is worth the trouble
On an older car with a high deductible, paying for the windshield yourself can cost less than chasing a claim. Ask for a self-pay quote and compare.
This is general information, not legal advice. For an injury, or a claim the other side refuses, speak with a lawyer.
The glass itself
Why the crack rarely waits
A stone that hits a windshield at freeway speed often leaves a star or a bullseye that looks harmless for a day or two. In Tucson, the next hot afternoon tends to change that: the sun heats the glass, the air conditioning cools the inside, and the damage starts to run. We replace windshields and do not repair chips, so if the damage sits in front of the driver or has already started to spread, send us a photo and the VIN for a quote on the exact glass your car takes.
Rock off a truck near Tucson?
Text the photo and VIN to (877) 350-5962, or call our Tucson line, (520) 492-2800. We replace the windshield where your car is parked, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.
Truck rock questions
Want a written quote for a claim? Call (520) 492-2800.
Is a trucking company automatically responsible for a rock that hits my windshield?
No. Arizona's load law, A.R.S. § 28-1098, requires loads to be secured and sets civil penalties, but it does not make the owner pay you on its own. A claim against the owner depends on showing the damage came from that truck's load.
Does the load law cover sand trucks?
Sand dropped on purpose to improve traction is one of the statute's exceptions, along with water sprinkled to clean the road and small pieces of farm material such as leaves and stems.
Should I use my own insurance instead?
For many drivers it is the faster route. With Arizona's full glass option, a covered windshield is often $0 out of pocket. Without it, compare your deductible with a self-pay quote first.
Why are the I-19 exit numbers so high near Sahuarita?
I-19 is signed in kilometres, so its exits are numbered by kilometre rather than by mile. Pima Mine Road is exit 80 and Sahuarita Road is exit 75.
Sources
Facts checked October 16, 2026
- A.R.S. § 28-1098, vehicle loads; restrictions; civil penalties, Arizona State Legislature
- Interstate 19 (exit list and metric signs), Wikipedia
- Sahuarita, Arizona (Asarco Mission Complex), Wikipedia
Things change. If something here is out of date, tell us on our Tucson line, (520) 492-2800.
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