Windshield Safety

While you may think of your vehicle's windshield simply as the front window, it is also as much a vital part of your car's overall restraint system as are the seat belts and air bags. It is intended to keep you and your passengers inside the vehicle in the event of an accident. The glass the windshield is made of sandwiches a layer of "PVB" (polyvinyl butyrate), which among other things prevents the shattering of the glass layers, thus helping avoid intrusion of outside objects, as well as ejection through it by any occupant. This "PVB" layers also helps absorb some of the energy of an occupant colliding against it, helping decrease severity of injury.

The windshield is also an integral part of your vehicle's structure, as it helps supports the roof, adding to the structural integrity of the passenger compartment and against roof crush. Roof crush is when the roof collapses under the weight of the vehicle and crushes the occupants, such as would occur during a rollover. Imagine what would happen to a cardbox cube if you remove one of its' sides, and you get the idea.

In addition to the above, the windshield helps supports the passenger side airbag during deployment in many new models. In these models, the deploying passenger side air bag will contact the windshield fist, before being properly positioned.

These are all important considerations when judging the condition of your vehicle's windshield. Therefore, do not put off replacing it just because that crack is not obstructing your vision.