page_title: Windshield
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Windshield / History
caption_attribution_description: Windshield with "spiderweb" cracking. Photo shot by Derek Jensen (Tysto), 2005-November-19
context_page_description: The windshield or windscreen is the front window of a vehicle. It lets drivers see out while at the same time protecting passengers and the driver from weather. Aircraft, cars, buses, motorbikes or trams can all have windshields.
  Windshields on cars and aircraft are designed to protect the vehicle against wind and flying debris. Windshields on motorbikes are designed to shield the driver from wind, though it doesn't protect as much as other vehicle windshields do.
  Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass. The laminated safety glass used for vehicles is made of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer between them. This laminated safety glass is then joined into the window frame.
  Motorbike windshields are different to the ones found on cars or aircraft. Motorbike windshields are often made of high-impact polycarbonate or acrylic plastic.
context_section_description: Before laminated safety glass, vehicles used ordinary window glass as a windshield. However, ordinary window glass can shatter if the vehicle had a massive physical impact, which would produce flying sharp pieces of glass that can injure people. On 1917, Henry Ford developed the laminated safety glass from the French, which would help prevent broken glass from shattering. Modern windshields were developed from Ford's developments.
caption: "Spiderweb" cracking on laminated safety glass. The crack stays inside the safety glass, preventing shattering of the safety glass.
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