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Majority of drivers unaware of safety benefits of correctly fitted windscreens

The survey of 1,000 UK drivers by Autoglass found that over half (53%) are not aware that a correctly fitted windscreen is essential to a car’s roof crush resistance in a roll over situation.

A worrying 71% of drivers are unaware that an incorrectly fitted windscreen can impact effective passenger airbag deployment. Autoglass carried out crash tests at a speed of 30mph to see what the effects were of an unbonded windscreen. Upon impact, the windscreen was completely displaced which caused the passenger airbag to inflate outside the confines of the vehicle. The result was that the airbag became incorrectly positioned to deliver the full safety benefits when the dummy first struck the airbag.”

The research also reveals that the majority of UK drivers are unaware of the crucial role the windscreen plays in maintaining the structural integrity of their car. When asked what they considered to be the most important safety features in a car, the majority of drivers ranked windscreen as only the fifth most important factor, despite the fact that it can account for up to 30% of a car’s structural integrity.

Jeremy Rochfort, national sales manager at Autoglass, said: “At Autoglass, safety is our top concern and we want to raise awareness of the power of the windscreen when it comes to protecting motorists on the road. Duty of care is a top priority for fleet managers so it goes without saying that safety is of paramount importance. Fleet drivers need to be aware of the crucial role the windscreen plays in the event of an accident. Every chip will eventually crack.  It is also critical to invest in a good quality glass replacement. Autoglass will only use glass manufactured to OEM standards, ensuring that the glass we fit is as good as the original piece of glass we are replacing.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.