To learn more about our State of Texas approved online defensive driving course visit ASenseOfHumorDriving.com.

1. Most early cars did not have a windshield; they were
manufactured with an open air design.

2. Drivers wore goggles to protect their eyes from the
elements.

3. The windshield became popular because it was an
improved way to protect yourself and your passengers from
wind and debris.

4. The first windshields were made out of glass.

5. Instead of helping people, the shattering glass on impact
would actually cause more injuries, then the windshield was
meant to protect.

6. That is why auto manufacturers switched to using tempered
glass.

7. Tempering is a special process which makes the glass more
shatter resistant.

8. Most windshields are made using the “float method”.

9. A special formula consisting of silica, soda ash, dolomite,
cullet, and limestone mixed together, and then sent
through a chamber known as the float chamber.

10. The float chamber is made of a sheet of molten tin,
reaching a temperature of 1.800 degrees Fahrenheit, where
the glass is passed above this section of molten tin.

11. The intense heat of the chamber causes the glass mixture to
float above the molten tin while removing any impurities
within the glass.

12. As the glass exits the float chamber the change in
temperature causes the glass to harden just enough to
move into the next chamber.

13. The next chamber, at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, is
much cooler than the float chamber.

14. This temperature allows for the annealing process where
the glass is cooled slowly to make it stronger.

15. After exiting the last chamber the glass is cooled to room
temperature and is now ready to be cut.

16. The section of glass is now placed into a mold that is heated
to allow the glass to take the shape of a windshield.

17. Once the glass has taken its shape, the lamination process
begins.

18. A layer of poly-vinyl butyral is sandwiched between two
sheets of tempered glass and heated with an autoclave.

19. The heating process turns all the layers clear making it see-
through.

20. New research is being conducted every day to develop new
ways to make glass safer and more durable.

21. Some glass can even resist UV light, fix scratches on its own,
and has anti-fog capability.

22. Being shatter resistant and coated to reflect some of the
sun’s rays the windshield has now become one of the car’s
most important designs and safety features.

23. With this information drivers are able to better understand
the origins of the windshield, and the benefits that they
provide drivers every day.