It's incredible to see how dirty Australian roads are. All manner of objects litter the highways and sit alongside gravel or small stones, caused by surface deterioration. It's not surprising that some of these objects can fly into the air when they come into contact with a vehicle tyre — and if you're unlucky, they may strike your windscreen. If you've just suffered from such an encounter and have noticed a crack, you may be wondering how the screen is still in one piece due to the nature of the impact. You may be surprised to hear that your car windscreen is quite a sophisticated product in its own right, so how is it made?

Safety First

Regulators and manufacturers alike insist that safety glass is used in every door and window on your car or truck. It is specially designed to significantly reduce the chance of injury, should it break. The windscreen is even sturdier as it is designed using a specific lamination process. This type of glass is made to offer full protection to the occupants in the event of a crash.

Lamination Process

Laminated glass is essentially made up of two different pieces of glass, surrounding a thin layer of vinyl. All these pieces are joined together in the factory when they are placed into a special oven known as an autoclave. The technique will apply pressure and heat in the right amounts to bond the screen together so that it is as strong as possible.

Containing Damage

You've noticed a crack in your windscreen following your recent encounter with a small stone, but on closer inspection, you may be able to see that the blemish is only on the outer piece of glass.

In a very severe impact, the glass will still shatter but crucially, it won't fly in every direction as the individual pieces of glass will be held to the vinyl lining that sits within. It's not unusual for the entire windscreen to come out and remain generally intact, even though the glass itself will be severely damaged.

Other Windows

You may wonder about the other windows, and while they may not be made of laminated glass, they will at least be tempered. Tempering involves the application of extreme heat to the surface of the glass, followed by rapid cooling. This will make it much stronger than a nontreated alternative, and should it break, the pieces will be smaller and less likely to cause any injury to the occupants of the vehicle.

Repairs

You may be able to get the crack in your windscreen fixed and should talk with technicians as soon as possible. If it spreads or becomes more extensive, then you may have to get the windscreen replaced altogether. In this case, you should always use original equipment.