I was in the industry for awhile, but have been out for five years. I never had a problem with doing a repair in the drivers view, since you are not focusing on the glass. Depending on the type of damage, you may see a little mark or an outline. Call your local Superglass Windshield Repair guy. They are the best in the business.
As for OEM glass, I use to refer work to a real good friend of mine in Raleigh N.C. I use to get him to look at some aftermarket companies, but he would always come back to LOF. The wasted time and effort of trying to put in a piece of glass that didn't fit properly wasn't worth it to him. This didn't happen all of the time, but it was enough to not be worth the cost savings. If anyone needs a good glass guy in Raleigh, his name is Quality Auto Glass. Yes, I stole his name when I started my business in Miami.
