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Windscreens


Windscreens

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More windscreen information

Modern windscreens are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two (typically) curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, that are bonded (glued) into the window frame.

In daily use, windscreens mainly protect the vehicle's occupants from wind, temperature extremes, and flying debris such as stones, dust and insects, as well as providing an aerodynamically shaped window towards the front. UV Coatings may also be applied to windscreens to filter out harmful ultraviolet light.

Early windscreens were made of ordinary toughened glass, but that could lead to serious injuries in the event of a crash.

Modern, bonded (glued-in) windscreens contribute to the vehicle's rigidity, and are also essential to safety; along with the roof of the car, they provide protection to the vehicle's occupants in the case of a roll-over accident.

Modern windscreens not only prevent ejection of the occupants but are also the backboard for the airbag, controlling twenty percent of the “crash pulse” which tells the airbag when to go off. Modern laminated windscreens are also far less likely to cause serious injury from shards of flying glass.

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