One example of how your vehicle’s windshield protects you in the event of an accident can be illustrated in the way the windshield is made. Every auto windshield is constructed of two sheets of glass, separated by a thin layer of polyvinyl butyrate in between. This transparent sheet of plastic is fused between the layers of glass in an adhesion process which utilizes pressure and heat to bind the layers together.

In the event of a collision, the glass may break; however, the thin layer of adhesive plastic in the middle will keep it together. This serves a dual purpose. First, the adhesive will prevent the majority of the glass from shattering and causing cuts and scratches to the occupants. Secondly, it allows the windshield to provide somewhat of a cushion to the passengers, should they strike the windshield. The polyvinyl butyrate is flexible, reducing the amount of force exerted to the occupants upon impact with the windshield. This is why windshields are constructed from glass the way that they are, rather than being constructed from plastic. Plastic does not provide the same amount of flexibility and cushion during an accident.

13-14 million windshields are replaced annually in the United States, most commonly caused by flying debris, vandalism, and collisions. It is important to realize that windshield replacement is a complicated, challenging process that should only be performed by properly trained professionals.

Replaced windshields must be perfectly positioned and installed as to not compromise the integrity of the vehicle’s cab. The windshield provides essential support to the passenger compartment in the event of an accident, especially in rollovers. Think of the windshield as the keystone of an arch.

Modern windshields can contain many features including heating mechanisms, sensors, tints, coatings, and radio antennas. They may even contain more sophisticated features including heads-up-displays (HUD) and satellite uplinks. With these kinds of features, it is not hard to understand why windshields can be expensive. This is also why windshield repair is a common solution to cracked, scratched, and damaged windshields.

During a windshield repair, the technician uses a specially formulated resin, injecting it into the damaged area of the glass. The resin is then cured, restoring the windshield’s integrity, and polished to restore the clarity of the glass. If the windshield has become damaged to the point where the PVB layer is compromised, repair should not be considered and complete replacement is required.

Windshields are constructed from laminated glass. This laminated glass is composed of two or more layers of glass, with a thin plastic sheet in between. This transparent sheet of plastic is actually called polyvinyl butyrate, or PVB, and is fused between the layers of glass in an adhesion process which utilizes pressure and heat to bind the layers together.

The PVB film keeps the glass from shattering in the event of an accident. On impact, most of the glass is kept from entering the vehicle’s cabin, and can even act as a retainer to keep objects, including you, inside the vehicle.

We all want to be sure that we are driving in a safe vehicle. We consider our vehicle’s most obvious safety features, such as seatbelts, airbags, tire pressure, and tire tread. We all strive to ensure that these items are kept up to standard, both to prevent accidents from occurring, as well as to protect us to the full extent in the event of an accident.

However, one of the most overlooked, yet one of the most important safety features of your car, truck, or van is the one that is literally right in front of your eyes. Your vehicles windshield plays a vital role in the prevention of injury or death in the event of a collision and/or rollover. In fact, most automotive safety experts rank the windshield as the third most important safety component in your vehicle – directly behind seatbelts and airbags.

Windshields are designed to operate in conjunction with your vehicle’s airbags. Properly installed windshields provide support to the back of the airbag, sustaining it and allowing it to fully deploy into the occupant compartment, rather than into the dash.  If the structural integrity of the windshield has been compromised, it may cause the airbags to only partially deploy or to not deploy at all, dramatically increasing the chances of serious injury or death in the event of an accident.

The auto glass found on your vehicle plays a very important role for both you and your vehicle. The windshield in particular provides important structural support for all vehicles. In the event of an accident, the windshield is designed to take the kinetic energy from the impact and disperse it evenly around the passenger compartment of the vehicle, protecting the occupants. Windshields are a key component to the structural integrity of vehicles. In many vehicles, the windshield can provide up to 50% of the passenger compartment’s structural support when involved in a rollover accident.