BIRDS PENETRATING WINDSHIELD INJURE AND KILL

The Birds

Not a week goes by these days without a person, animals, objects and even birds penetrating windshields- injuring and killing people. What is particularly alarming is that birds are penetrating windshields like Ravens, Geese and Turkeys. You would think that a windshield’s PVB would stop birds as the impact would be dispersed energy over a large area of the windshield , not like a piece of concrete or metal hitting the windshield. If you have ever been in a wreck the last few seconds when you know it is inevitable goes in super slow motion and many thoughts pass through your mind. I will bet one of those thoughts of these people would be, “ Is this windshield going to save me?”

We recently had the windshield, in the photograph to the right, sitting outside. We were measuring temperature difference between the frit and the middle of the windshield causing thermal stress for the previous article about the Frit. After a week when we picked up the windshield by the center top and center bottom it split into two pieces, PVB and all. We know from testing many years ago that an unrepaired crack that is exposing the PVB for a length of time dependent upon climate will cause FMVSS 205 impact and penetration failure (see 2nd photo of a Raven impact), but this was an undamaged windshield.

My question: Are these penetrations the result of unrepaired cracked windshields or are windshields getting so cheap they are unsafe OR as this been going on and we are only now hearing about it because of the internet? Maybe vehicle manufactures should cut weight off the vehicle somewhere else that is not a safety devise. Maybe the FMVSS 205- SAE/ANSI Z.26.1 needs to be rewritten. Either way I was wondering if any windshield manufacturers or vehicle manufactures out there are seeing an opportunity here for a safer five-layer windshield with two layers of PVB. That would only add about 10-15 pounds of weight to the car but I sure would want it. I would also like a safer product to sell to my customers who value the safety of their families over the cheapest windshield on the market. A five-layer windshield would also significantly increase the value of windshield repair and send insurance repair ratios through the roof.

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