Breaking Auto Window

W

Woody

Well-Known Member
Nov 20, 2007
9,440
N. Wisconsin/Lk Superior
Boat Info
2005 420DA
Engines
Cummins 6CTA8.3
Not boating related. Watch this video starting at 19:45. It's the police trying to get into a truck they had been chasing. They are just wailing away on the truck side windows. Took a lot of time/effort to break the glass.

What if there was a situation where you had to get out quickly, maybe in the water, are they making these windows too strong?
 
Tempered glass was traditionally the only thing used is for side and rear windows.
A simple center punch will shatter the entire piece.

Laminated glass is used for windshields and now very common to be used for the side windows. More common than you think. RAM pickups have used it for almost 20 years.

Laminated is very hard to remove. You need a hole in the glass then a sawzall with a demo blade for the quickest removal.

FYI if you ever need to flatbed your car, make sure the tow truck driver loads it facing forward. The tempered glass rear window can easily be broken by a rock hitting it.
 
I have laminated glass in my car's side windows (front and back). They're like two thinner pieces of glass with some type of sound absorbing film in between. Very difficult to break though it. It can be shattered a bit with a punch, but it won't fall apart due to the laminated center layer.

Best way to break in or out is to use a punch on the panoramic roof - I don't think it's laminated glass.

 
Jimmy Buoy said:
I have laminated glass in my car's side windows (front and back). They're like two thinner pieces of glass with some type of sound absorbing film in between. Very difficult to break though it. It can be shattered a bit with a punch, but it won't fall apart due to the laminated center layer.

Best way to break in or out is to use a punch on the panoramic roof - I don't think it's laminated glass.

Click to expand...
Depends on the vehicle. Many roofs are also laminated. There is typically a label or printing indicating lami or tempered.
 
Reason is side airbags kind of need a backer when deploying. Laminated glass is quieter and has better thermal protection too. Scary if your trying to bust one out in an emergency though.
My thoughts.
 
Flyer5 said:
Depends on the vehicle. Many roofs are also laminated. There is typically a label or printing indicating lami or tempered.
Click to expand...
Just checked - as suspected in my case (2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0) the roof and sunroof are NOT laminated but tempered. I have one of those "snappers" that has a pointed steel shaft that is designed to shatter laminated glass so I can get out if need be via the roof. Hopefully if it lands upside down one of the four doors still operate.
I still appreciate the additional safety from your typical smash and grab or car-jacking scenarios laminated side windows provides. Sound dampening is also a plus.
 
As each grandkid got their own car I got them a tool for popping the windows. After seeing the cops wailing on the windows in the video I'm thinking they might be useless when time is of the essence.

I guess I got to find out what kind of glass they got and go from there.
 
Quint4 said:
Wrong tool.......30 years career fire service here (retired)...we all carried spring loaded center punches in our Fire Gear......instant results on car windows.
Click to expand...
I still have mine from back in 1997, carried it from my Volunteer days in 80 till this day
 
Woody said:
As each grandkid got their own car I got them a tool for popping the windows. After seeing the cops wailing on the windows in the video I'm thinking they might be useless when time is of the essence.

I guess I got to find out what kind of glass they got and go from there.
Click to expand...
For a side window, roll it down halfway. Then look at the edge. Laminated glass will have 2 thin pieces of glass with some sort of film or plastic visible between them at the edge.

Probably also a label in the corner of each piece with the glass type on it.
 
When I was a cop we all carried (in our briefcase) one of those spring loaded pointed thingies. Never had to use it, just carried to my whole career.
 
When I worked in Boise, the local CAT dealer had a box of belt cutters with glass breakers. If they got to know you, you could just grab what you wanted. I have them in each vehicle and extras for other vehicles. They have worked great when needed. Those belt cutters are wider than most on the market and will cut anything but aramid or kevlar. They are the same ones in every CAT piece of equipment I have operated.
 
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