One reason: They need to break so you can get out.
In an accident you often have to crawl out a window. With a big laminated sheet you have to shove out the whole panel. The front windshield is laminated so that it also protects you from things flying at the car at high speeds. This is less of an issue with side windows.
But after the dust settles you, or rescuers, need to get access. And a window that shatters into small non-sharp pieces lets them do that.
Everybody’s already acknowledged this is a safety concern, but I’ll also offer that the *only* thing I took away from my HORRIBLE high school physics teacher (sadly; I love the subject) was an insanely out of context rant about driving into a lake and not being able to open your car doors because of the exterior pressure; and as a result I’ve had three sets of glass-breaking tools in my car consistently for the past 20+ years.
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