Yes, I know there are glass frames, silicone seal, suspensions; but given the amount of shocks a vehicle goes through its lifetime (specially utility vehicles), why does accidental shatter never happen?
In: Engineering
In short, glass is actually a very strong material, but because it breaks before it bends it can act in unintuitive ways. Sometimes it seems very weak. Automotive glass is designed specifically to avoid putting it in situations where it behaves fragile.
First, glass isn’t as fragile as people think. Its biggest weakness is being struck by *hard* objects. Bumps in the road aren’t a direct strike to the glass, so this is no hazard.
Second, windshield glass is significantly thicker than most glass you’re used to, and curved. Both of these also make it leaps and bounds more durable. Thicker glass is more prone to chipping than fully shattering.
Third, auto glass is tempered, which is a technique that protects the surface of the glass by forcing the core of the glass to shrink slightly. This has to do with how breaks form in glass, moving along the surface. If the surface is being scrunched together then it is much harder to crack.
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