The History of Auto Glass

At its best, your auto glass does its job without drawing attention to itself. However, it’s one of the most important parts of your vehicle because it helps retain your car’s structure and keeps it safe. According to the AAA, windshields need to be able to withstand up to 2,000 pounds of force in the event an airbag goes off since they play a vital role in its proper deployment. That said, auto glass wasn’t always so strong, and auto glass services were often more common. Thankfully, its history has been one of continual improvement.

The Earliest Windshields

According to How Products Are Made, the first windshields were seen on vehicles in 1905. As cars improved and their speed increased, engineers quickly realized that a pane of glass could protect drivers in many ways. Shockingly, the first windshields were simply two panes of glass that protected the driver from debris, insects, and other dangers. The top pane folded down to give the driver more air if they wanted.

Unfortunately, these windshields were quite dangerous, triggering many serious injuries and deaths. Often, flying glass was more problematic than a driver’s speed in an accident. Over time, engineers started researching different, safer glass options that would protect people from serious injuries. These different glass types took some time to come out, and, in the meantime, many people were hurt. Thankfully, glass design and auto glass services naturally improved.

Tempered and Laminated Glass Emerge

While drivers and even the federal government complained about unsafe windshields, people began trying to make laminated glass for vehicles to protect the drivers. According to glassonweb.com, laminated glass was first used on cars in 1924 and became the standard for Ford vehicles in 1928. This glass helped reduce sun glare and made driving a little safer. It also didn’t shatter nearly as much as regular glass, which kept shards from going airborne and potentially injuring or killing drivers. According to HowStuffWorks, automakers didn’t begin to use tempered glass for their vehicles until the late 1930s. Tempered glass is much stronger than laminated glass and breaks into smaller pieces. That’s why a windshield creates that unique spiderweb look when it gets damaged by an impact. This innovation alone likely saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives in car accidents. Over the years, engineers have improved this tempered glass several times by using stronger and better materials. Interestingly, the base of this technology has always remained the same at its core. It’s still centered on the same basic tempering concept, which gives the auto glass a unique consistency throughout the years. However, many other changes are worth exploring in this interesting topic.

Other Unique Changes in Auto Glass

When would you guess that the federal government started regulating vehicles and demanding specific safety standards? According to the United States House of Representatives History, Art, and Archives, it wasn’t until 1966 that The Highway Safety Act gave the federal government the authority to regulate vehicles. That means that cars were produced with rampantly different guidelines and rules for almost 60 years.

For example, tempered windshields were very common but by no means standards. After 1966, they were required in all vehicles. This did result in some changes in the industry that eliminated many unique concepts. For example, the wraparound windshield, once popular in the 1950s, is rarely used now. It requires far too much class to install, though it does provide more viewing room for drivers.

Surprisingly, major changes in windshield technology haven’t really rocked the industry since the 1960s. While temperate glass continues to get better and stronger laminated options have become available for those who want it, and the market has mostly focused on consolidation. However, the new century brought about changes in smart tech that introduced ideas like thermally flexible glass that would change with temperatures and windshields that displayed your driving information for you as you drive on the road.

The history of auto glass is likely far more interesting than many people realize. In fact, many auto glass services don’t realize how many innovations and changes have occurred in this field over the years. Thankfully, continual improvements have made car glass some of the safest in the world and reduced the dangers that flying glass used to cause in severe accidents. So, if you need help with your auto glass and need a service you can trust, call Aaron Auto Glass today to learn more about our options.