Spider | Web Windshield

The next time you see—or unfortunately experience—a spider web windshield, take a moment before the frustration sets in. That complex lattice of cracks is proof that your car’s safety systems are functioning. It is a testament to the engineering of laminated glass: a technology designed to stare down high-velocity impacts and ensure that when things go wrong, the pieces stay put.

When a projectile hits the windshield, it creates a localized point of high stress. The energy from the impact must dissipate. Because the glass is rigid, it cannot stretch to absorb the energy. Consequently, the material fails, radiating cracks outward from the point of impact. spider web windshield

Put a small piece of clear packing tape over the impact point (on the outside) to keep dirt and moisture out of the crack. This makes a future repair much more successful. When a projectile hits the windshield, it creates

The sun had just begun to bake the two-lane blacktop when Lena saw it: a single, silver thread stretched between the cracked asphalt and a dry weed. A spider’s web, glinting. the material fails