Emergency Car Window Breaker: Know Your Vehicle’s Glass Type 

Highlights:

• AAA research found that emergency car window breaker or escape tools can’t break certain types of car windows.
• Learn how you can tell what type of glass your vehicle has.
• Find out what to look for when you’re purchasing an emergency car window escape tool.
• Know when to escape your car and when to stay

The convenience and necessities of driving often overshadow the dangers associated with it. In an instant, a brake issue, rogue deer or a road hazard could turn your mundane drive into a chaotic crash that leaves you trapped inside your damaged vehicle. Now what?

Depending on the severity of the situation, a rapid escape might be necessary to protect yourself and your passengers from further harm. So how do you do this when the doors are stuck, and the windows are all intact and stuck in their upright position?

If your situation is too dire to wait for emergency teams to arrive, your only option may be to break the car glass. However, doing so might be easier said than done.

Typically, you likely know what type of gasoline your car takes and what your miles per gallon are for your car but do you know which type of window glass your car has? If your answer is “no,” then this guide will help change that. Not all glass is created equal, and car window breakers are not one size fits all. 

AAA research determined that tools designed to help you break a window and escape a crash are unable to break laminated side windows—an innovation that 1 in 3 car models has included since 2018. The research demonstrates the importance of knowing which type of side window glass your vehicle has, and which tools are effective for a swift escape.

How to know your car’s type of glass

There are two distinct types of glass used in vehicles: Tempered Glass and Laminated Glass. Knowing which material was used on your vehicle or how to identify which material was used on someone else’s vehicle could save a life.

In the past, vehicles would have both types with the front windshield being made of laminated glass and the side and rear windows made of tempered glass, but there has been a shift in recent years.

• Tempered Glass – Most vehicle side and rear windows are made from tempered glass. Tempered glass is single-ply glass that undergoes a treatment process that includes heating and rapidly cooling the material to affect how it responds to heavy impacts. If the vehicle takes an impact that is strong enough to break the glass, it will shatter into small, dull, pebble-like pieces rather than sharp shards that could inflict further harm on vehicle occupants. It is predominantly utilized on the sides and rear where the risk of occupant ejection is lower.
• Laminated Glass – Laminated glass is the durable glass material that is used for vehicle windshields. It is made by adhering two thick pieces of glass together with a clear, durable, flexible resin called polyvinyl butyral (PVB). This glass is designed to endure heavy impacts without breaking which reduces your chances of being injured by glass projectiles and helps prevent vehicle occupants from being ejected in high-speed collisions. Because of this material is stronger, quieter and much more difficult to break, an increasing number of vehicles have made the switch to laminated side window glass.

You can determine the type of glass on your vehicle by checking a label in the bottom corner of your side windows—it should clearly indicate whether the glass is tempered or laminated. If you can’t find the label or this information isn’t included, contact your vehicle manufacturer. AAA has also compiled a list of vehicles with laminated glass.

What to know when looking for a car escape tool

Vehicle escape or car window breaker tools can help you exit your vehicle in an emergency by allowing you to break through side windows and cut through safety belts. Though you may never have to use them, it is important to always have one of these tools in your vehicle. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

There are two styles of vehicle escape tools: hammer style and spring loaded.

Hammer Style Tools – This tool is self-explanatory. It is a tool vehicle occupants can use like a hammer to break out of their vehicle in the event of an emergency. The effectiveness of this tool is dependent upon the personal strength of the occupant, the type of glass it is being used against and the environment that the vehicle is stuck in.

Testing done by AAA determined the following:

• Hammer style tools are more difficult to use underwater. The water resistance makes them difficult to swing and reduces their overall effectiveness.
• Hammer style tools should be used on tempered glass only, according to a study conducted by AAA, these tools were completely ineffective against laminated glass.

Spring Loaded Tools – This escape tool style comes with a spring assisted spike that increases the pressure and eliminates the need for excessive force from the vehicle occupant. These tools are more effective than hammer style tools because they require less physical force to operate and can be used in all environmental situations, even underwater. However, there are still limitations.

Testing done by AAA determined the following:

• Spring loaded tools are more effective when it comes to breaking tempered glass than their hammer style counterpart.
• Spring loaded tools are ineffective against laminated glass.

Whether you are purchasing hammer style or spring loaded, do not get distracted by the extras. Lights, chargers and other frills do not increase the tool’s effectiveness and getting into a habit of using your tool for something other than escapes could lead to it getting misplaced or left behind leaving you without it when you really need it.

Instead, go with something simple that you can keep securely in reach so that it can be accessed if you need to make a quick escape.

Make sure your car escape tool is working properly by testing it ahead of time on a piece of soft wood. If the tip of the tool leaves a small dent in the surface of the wood, then it will work on a tempered glass window. 

Know When to Stay and When to Escape

The decisions you make in the moments immediately following an accident could mean the difference between life and death for you, passengers or occupants in other vehicles. You often must act quickly without all of the information. Though it may be tempting to get out of your vehicle as fast as possible, it may be more prudent to stay. These tips will help you to decide whether you should stay put or whether you should get out.

When to stay:

• Severity – If there are no severe injuries and your vehicle is not in immediate danger, then there is no need to escape.
• Heavily Trafficked Areas – If your crash occurs at a bustling intersection or highway, it may be safer for you to stay in your vehicle and out of the way of other vehicles.
• Hazardous Surroundings – If there are downed power lines or other environmental hazards, it may be safer to wait in your vehicle for emergency services to arrive.
• Evidence Preservation – If the situation does not call for an immediate escape, it might be better for you to refrain from causing further damage to the vehicle. This allows for more accurate evidence collection and could assist your case in any criminal or civil suits that follow.

When to Escape:

• Medical Emergency – If you or another passenger needs immediate medical attention, then an escape may be necessary.
• Vehicle Fire – If your vehicle bursts into flames because of the crash, do not wait, evacuate. The fire could lead to total vehicle loss and death if you stay.
• Vehicle Submersion – If your vehicle ends up in a deep body of water after a crash, do not wait for emergency services.

Know an escape plan

If trapped in a vehicle, remember there is a S-U-R-E way out:

• Stay calm and work cautiously to ensure everyone safely exits the vehicle.
• Unbuckle safety belts and check to see that everyone is ready to leave the car when it’s time. If you cannot unbuckle, use your escape tool’s safety belt cutter.
• Roll down or break a window. Roll down a window as soon as the vehicle enters the water. If the window won’t open and the car has tempered glass, use a car escape tool to break a side window. If a window won’t open or cannot be broken, call 911 immediately.
• Exit the vehicle quickly, move everyone to safety and call 911.

Keep in mind that your car may have different types of glass in different locations (such as tempered glass on rear side windows and laminated glass on front side windows). If your car has at least one tempered window, this is the best point of exit in an emergency.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to escape your vehicle, and all your windows are laminated prioritize opening doors first. If you find yourself in a sinking vehicle, get to the highest point of a vehicle with an air pocket and wait for the vehicle to pressurize before trying to open a door.

In an emergency, knowing your vehicle’s glass type and having the right escape tool can make all the difference. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to ensure a safe and swift exit when every second counts.