GLASS AND A HALF

Often taken for granted, the role that your windscreen plays within the packaging of your vehicle has never been more significant. We explore its evolution, as well as why this sheet of glass is so important.

- lan McLaren

As highlighted by our defensive driving course feature in the May issue, when it comes to significantly increasing the odds of arriving safely at your destination, it's crucial to have a clear line of sight from the driver's seat to the road ahead. While racing drivers rely on a clean helmet visor for maximum focus while on track, the windscreen of your car not only protects you from the elements, but also has an important role to play when it comes to situational awareness while driving.

SINGLE PLY 

During the transition from horse-drawn carriage to the automobile, as the average speed of personal transportation steadily increased, so too did the need to establish a form of protection against the elements, which was more viable than a pair of goggles and a head scarf. The first windscreen was little more than a flat sheet of domestic glazing, though the ability to fold it away while on the move proved to be a vital step in the evolution of defensive driving. Of course, with such rudimentary technology being used as protection, and in the absence of seatbelts, this sheet of glass placed ahead of the driver all too easily became a potentially deadly hazard in the event of an accident or significant contact with road-borne debris.

TWO-PLY

One solution aimed at preventing potential injury was the adoption of laminated glass for windscreens; something which Henry Ford was particularly keen to explore, considering the volume of vehicles he was producing in the early 1930s, as well as the associated costs of glass. Early laminated windscreen technology saw two thinner sheets of glass sandwiched together via a layer of plastic.

The result was a windscreen that generally remained intact - as opposed to shattering in the event of an accident.