If your car windshield or window is struck by an object on the highway, you have probably noticed that the glass cracked but did not shatter. You may even have cracks in your windshield or window that look like a spider web. As a result, you might be trying to figure out why your window or windshield did not shatter on impact. After all, there are plenty of other types of glass that will shatter relatively easily. We are Advanced Auto Glass, and it would be our pleasure to help you take care of your glass. Learn more about why a car window is so strong, and give us a call today to schedule an appointment with our team.
An Overview of the Strength of Car Windows and Windshields
First, it is important to take a look back at history. In the early 1900s, a chemist realized that when glass was laminated, it would not necessarily shatter on impact. Even though this discovery was revolutionary, glass was not used in vehicles at the time. It was approximately 20 years after this that people began to place glass in vehicles.
Today, the glass used in vehicles is typically called safety glass. There are three separate layers that come together to provide your vehicle with the protection you enjoy. The outside two layers are slightly curved. This glass has been heated, making it easier to mold. Then, the glass is cooled down as quickly as possible to increase its strength without causing it to crack. Then, these two layers of glass are placed around a single layer of plastic. This plastic is called polyvinyl butyral, and it is laminated between the outer glass frames. Then, the entire structure is bonded together.
The Additional Plastic Layer Gives Your Window Extra Strength
Thanks to the engineering process, and the extra layer of plastic, your car has additional strength that allows it to stand up to routine wear and tear. For example, if your windshield is struck by a rock or if you are involved in an accident, the glass will stick to the plastic layer. If the plastic layer was not present, large chunks of glass would simply break off, potentially harming you and the people inside your vehicle.
For example, say you are driving down the road. Then, a rock flies off a dump truck in front of you. All of a sudden, it strikes your windshield. When this happens, your windshield definitely breaks. However, the individual fragments stick to the plastic instead of shattering.
Are All Pieces of Glass in Your Vehicle the Same?
Even though your windows and windshield are very strong, they are not necessarily the same. That is because your windows and windshield serve different purposes. For example, let’s say you are involved in a motor vehicle accident. As a result of the accident, you are not able to open some of the doors in your car. You need to get out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. You never know whether the vehicle is going to catch fire, and you need to move to a safe location before you can comprehensively evaluate everything that has just happened.
If you need to get out of your vehicle quickly, you will probably need to break one of the windows. Therefore, you want the windows to be strong enough to protect you in the event of an accident, but you also need to be able to break them to get out of your car. Therefore, the design of your windows is slightly different. Your windows are generally made of tempered glass, and your windshield is generally made of laminated glass.
Even though this is not universal, it is relatively common. That is why you should be able to break a window using a glass cutter if you need to escape. Of course, if your windows or windshield have been damaged, you need to repair them to their original state. That means reaching out to a professional who can help you, and our team has the training and tools necessary to help you fix auto glass.
Call Advanced Auto Glass for Help Repairing Your Vehicle
If you have questions about your car window or windshield, we are here to answer them for you. At Advanced Auto Glass, we have an unparalleled level of experience in our field, and we can use that experience to help you take care of your vehicle. We understand that you want your car repaired as quickly as possible, but you also want the repair to last as long as possible. We will follow the best practices in our field to help you, so give us a call today to schedule an appointment with a member of our team.
