Automotive glass. How does this affect security?
The windshield plays a significant role in ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers of vehicles. It supports airbags and contains sensors and cameras that are part of the ADAS driver assistance systems. Sometimes, however, we are forced to replace it.
What is the function of a windshield in a car? Most of us know only that it provides the visibility needed to control what's happening on the road. True, but... incomplete. In fact, the windshield is much more important to road safety than we think.
“Its role is also to protect the driver and passengers in the event of an accident, as well as to stiffen the roof in a rollover,” explains Grzegorz Topolski, an expert at Sika, whose adhesives are used in about 33 percent of replacements. automotive glass around the world. Let's take a look at the windshield, for example. This is support for airbags that are activated in the event of an accident. So, if we don't stick it in accordance with the technological requirements, we don't use the appropriate window adhesive, we risk that in the event of an accident it will be pushed out. The consequences of an airbag failure can be disastrous for the driver and passenger.
New technologies in the production of automotive glass
Technological advances in the automotive industry have made vehicle windows look different from those that were part of older cars. They are thinner, their surface area is significantly increased. But that is not all. The windshields are equipped with cameras that are part of the ADAS systems, i.e. advanced driver assistance systems. Which? These include Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition. On the windshields of cars, you can increasingly find sensors that determine the intensity of light and rain.
Of course, not all cars, especially older ones, are crammed with modern technologies for the safety of the driver and passengers. However, from May 2022, all new car models and versions sold in the European Union will be mandatory equipped with various safety systems such as lane keeping or distraction detection. In two years, the rules will apply to all new cars.
Moreover, experts predict that soon the use of the so-called. augmented reality. What does it mean? The car windshield will simply become… a digital cockpit.
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