Which statement is true about windshield glass as described?

Which statement is true about windshield glass as described?

• A. Side and rear window glass is laminated
• B. Windshield glass is tempered
• C. Side and rear window glass is tempered
• D. Windshield glass is laminated — bullets fired at a windshield will drop 4 to 6 inches when entering the passenger compartment

Answer: (D)

Windshield glass is laminated, meaning it’s made from two sheets of glass bonded together with a plastic interlayer. This construction keeps the glass from breaking into loose shards and helps slow or stop objects, forming a protective barrier for occupants. Side and rear windows are usually tempered glass, which shatters into small, granular pieces rather than staying in one piece, so it doesn’t provide the same barrier as a laminated windshield. When a bullet strikes a laminated windshield, the energy is absorbed by the glass and interlayer, causing deflection and slowing the projectile. As it enters the passenger compartment, gravity and the altered trajectory often cause the bullet’s path to drop a few inches from the entry height. The 4 to 6 inch drop is a commonly cited field estimate, though the exact amount depends on the bullet, angle, and glass thickness.

Windshield glass is laminated, meaning it’s made from two sheets of glass bonded together with a plastic interlayer. This construction keeps the glass from breaking into loose shards and helps slow or stop objects, forming a protective barrier for occupants. Side and rear windows are usually tempered glass, which shatters into small, granular pieces rather than staying in one piece, so it doesn’t provide the same barrier as a laminated windshield.

When a bullet strikes a laminated windshield, the energy is absorbed by the glass and interlayer, causing deflection and slowing the projectile. As it enters the passenger compartment, gravity and the altered trajectory often cause the bullet’s path to drop a few inches from the entry height. The 4 to 6 inch drop is a commonly cited field estimate, though the exact amount depends on the bullet, angle, and glass thickness.