Why aren't cars fitted with laminated glass to all windows? This would deter thieves?

Question

Laminated glass (in windscreens) doesn't shatter into tiny pieces like toughened glass. Surely by having laminated all round, it would be much more difficult for someone to break into a car? What do you think?

Answer 1

think its a safety issue-like if you need to get out of the car by smashing the glass.

Answer 2

Side windows use "Toughened" glass (like windscreens used to).

Windscreens now use laminated glass.

Toughened glass is hard to break, but when it does - it goes with a bang.

This is because the toughening process (heat treatment) creates balanced stresses within the glass, effectively tightly holding it together, as if the outer surface of the glass is pulled tightly around the inner core of the glass. When the glass is broken, the stresses are no longer balanced and the glass effectively self-destructs, as its unbalanced stresses now pull it apart.

Laminated glass is not toughened, so it is easy to break, however the plastic layer in the laminate holds the broken pieces together, so that all the broken shards do not fall off.

The benefit of toughened glass is that it is strong. If you used laminated glass in the door window, and then you slammed your car door hard it could crack the laminated glass, especially if the window was slightly open, meaning the door frame is not giving full support around the glass. The slamming would have to be much much harder to break toughened glass, in fact it is probably not possible for a human to slam a car door hard enough to break toughened glass.

This is the reason, it's simply a choice or what is up to doing the job, matters of additional security cannot override this.

Answer 3

Some cars are now being fitted with laminated side glass, and it has been possible for many years to fit a film on the inside for the same purpose.

There are two reasons laminated side glass has not been fitted to many cars:

Cost: it costs more. The profit margin on a car is tiny ~£200 on a £10,000 car from the most profitable manufacturers (and in many cases, a loss on all lower-cost cars), so manufacturers cannot afford to fit it as standard.

Safety: if you have to get out in a hurry (or emergency services need to get in to the car in a hurry) laminated glass makes it a lot more difficult.

There is a secondary issue with the safety factor - product liability. If the manufacturer fits laminated glass, then someone cannot get out of the car quickly in an emergency, will the manufacturer be sued for damages (esp. in the USA)? If there is a risk of this, the manufacturer may decide the possible costs outweigh any other advantage. Blame the litigation culture in western society.

Answer 4

Hi

The laminate is purely and simply to stop the windscreen from falling in on you if it cracks or gets broken because windscreens are designed to craze into blunt pieces when they break for safety reasons, and the laminate holds the pieces together in place.

The laminate would not make any difference to a car thief whatsover, it would not make things anymore difficult for them whatsoever.

Cheers

Geordie

Answer 5

Safety. Auto glass is made to break into tiny pieces that cause minimal damage via cuts. They are also designed to shatter instead of your bones shattering against them.

Answer 6

I agree with Neil; cost & weight come into it. However the difficulty of breaking it in an emergency is a primary concern.
I think the thought is that it is better to risk a theft than to risk a life.

Answer 7

not only is it a safety issue it is easier to mess up. Think if you lived in a snowy climate you could ruin the glass by scraping ice off

Answer 8

It would cut into profits. They cost more. The manufacturer doesn't care about your thief problems.

Answer 9

it is for safety.

Just consider in case of an accident, you are trapped in the car and you need to smash the window to get out.?