Submitted:
20 June 2024
Posted:
24 June 2024
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Abstract
The automotive industry is increasingly adopting laminated glass in side and rear windows to comply with safety standards aimed at reducing ejection injuries. However, this trend may have unintended consequences for occupant rescue and escape in submerged vehicle incidents. As more vehicles incorporate laminated glass, concerns arise that they could become "glass coffins" in water, making it more difficult for occupants to exit or be rescued. The use of laminated glass is driven by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 226 (FMVSS 226) for ejection mitigation, but it does not address the risk of vehicle submersion and occupant drowning. Drowning accounts for a substantial portion of vehicle-related fatalities. As the adoption of laminated glass grows, there is a need for drowning prevention measures, such as automatic window opening systems, to mitigate the risk of vehicles becoming "glass coffins" in water. A comprehensive approach addressing both ejection and submersion dangers is necessary to maximize occupant protection and save lives.
Keywords:
vehicle
; drowning
; flood
; glass
; safety
; submersion
Introduction
The automotive industry is witnessing a growing trend towards the use of laminated glass in side and rear windows of vehicles. While this shift is driven by new safety standards aimed at reducing ejection injuries in crashes, it may have unintended consequences for occupant rescue and escape in submerged vehicle incidents. As more vehicles adopt laminated glass, there are concerns that they could become “glass coffins” in water, making it harder for occupants to exit or be rescued (McDonald et al., 2019).
The Shift Towards Laminated Glass
Laminated glass, which consists of two or more glass layers bonded together with a plastic interlayer, has long been used in vehicle windshields for its safety benefits (Alves & Gimenez, 2013). In recent years, however, its use has been expanding to side windows as well (Alves & Gimenez, 2013).
Looking forward, the laminated glass segment is anticipated to witness rapid growth in coming years (Precedence Research, 2024). The passenger cars segment, which primarily utilizes laminated glass for safety, captured a significant revenue share of the automotive glass market in 2022 (Precedence Research, 2024). If current trends continue, it is plausible that a substantial portion of new vehicles sold could have laminated side glass in the near future.
Driven by Safety Standards
This shift towards laminated glass is largely driven by the introduction of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 226 (FMVSS 226) for ejection mitigation (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011). Aimed at preventing occupant ejection through side windows in a crash, FMVSS 226 has made laminated glass a key countermeasure for compliance (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011).
The standard was introduced to address the high fatality risk associated with ejection. In rollover crashes, the ejection fatality rate is significantly higher for unrestrained occupants (Funk et al., 2012). Side window ejections account for a majority of all fatal occupant ejections in crashes (Funk et al., 2012). Seatbelt use was found to virtually eliminate the risk of complete ejection, but for unbelted occupants, the risk is significantly increased (Funk et al., 2012).
The Drowning Dilemma
While FMVSS 226 may reduce ejection injuries and fatalities, it does not address the issue of vehicle submersion and occupant drowning (McDonald et al., 2019). Drowning is a significant cause of vehicle-related fatalities, with some studies finding vehicle-related incidents accounting for a substantial portion of flood deaths (McDonald et al., 2019).
The use of laminated glass in side windows can make escape or rescue from a submerged vehicle significantly more difficult, as the glass cannot be easily broken (McDonald et al., 2019). This raises the question - why has ejection mitigation been prioritized over drowning prevention in vehicle safety standards? Especially when considering that increased seatbelt use is a highly effective ejection countermeasure (Funk et al., 2012).
The Need for Drowning Prevention
As more vehicles adopt laminated glass to meet FMVSS 226, there is a growing need for drowning prevention measures (McDonald et al., 2019). Innovative safety features like automatic window opening systems may help mitigate this risk (Giesbrecht et al., 2017) and prevent vehicles from becoming “glass coffins” in water.
More research is needed to determine precise averages, but the available data suggests vehicle-related drownings account for a significant portion of flood fatalities (Gissing et al., 2016; McDonald et al., 2019).
Conclusion
In conclusion, while laminated glass offers important safety benefits in crashes, its growing use in vehicles also creates new challenges for occupant escape and rescue in submersion incidents. As we strive to reduce ejection fatalities, we must not neglect the significant risk of drowning in vehicles.
Innovative safety features like automatic window opening systems may help mitigate this risk and prevent vehicles from becoming “glass coffins” in water. Ultimately, a comprehensive approach that addresses both ejection and submersion dangers is needed to maximize occupant protection. By raising awareness of this issue, we can work towards solutions that will save lives on and off the road.
References
- Alves, P. , & Gimenez, S. P. (2013). Tempered and laminated glazing for cars. In D. Crolla, D. E. Foster, T. Kobayashi, & N. Vaughan (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Automotive Engineering. [CrossRef]
- Funk, J. R., Cormier, J. M., Bain, C. E., Wirth, J. L., Bonugli, E. B., & Watson, R. A. (2012). Factors affecting ejection risk in rollover crashes. Annals of Advances in Automotive Medicine, 56, 203–211. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3503426/.
- Giesbrecht, G. G. , McDonald, G. K., Goheen, M. S. L., Moran, B., Zumbo, B. D., & Mekjavic, I. B. An automatic window opening system to prevent drowning in vehicles sinking in water. Cogent Engineering, 2017; 4, 1347990. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gissing, A. , Haynes, K., Coates, L., & Keys, C. Motorist behaviour during the 2015 Shoalhaven floods. Australian Journal of Emergency Management 2016, 34, 23–27. [Google Scholar]
- McDonald, G.K. , Moser, C.A., & Giesbrecht, G.G. Public knowledge, attitudes and practices of vehicle submersion incidents: a pilot study. Injury Epidemiology, 2019; 6. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2011). Laboratory test procedure for FMVSS 226 ejection mitigation (Report No. TP-226-00). https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/tp-226_ejection_v00_march_2011.pdf.
- Precedence Research. (2024). Automotive glass market size, share, growth, trends, forecast 2022 to 2030. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://www.precedenceresearch.com/automotive-glass-market.
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