Ballistophobia

"Scott Keelan" (ScottKeelan)
09/18/2013 at 17:32 • Filed to: None

Pictures like this do nothing but fuel my fear of something long and pointy coming straight though my windshield on the highway. On a related note, I am also afraid of weed-whackers flinging rocks into my eyes.

DISCUSSION (13)

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Scott Keelan
09/18/2013 at 17:38

that sucks.

But I would suggest safety glasses when using power equipment, and full-coverage shoes.

pdthedeuce > Scott Keelan
09/18/2013 at 17:40

true story...I was driving down I-10 in a 72 Malibu when a truck in front of me kicked up a 18 inch piece of rebar . As if in slow motion , I watched it my toward the passenger side of the windshield . As it smashed through , it redirected , one end hitting me square in the ribs . With the wind knocked out of me , I immediately went from the middle lane to the shoulder . If there had been a car next to me , I would have wrecked them . I sat for ten minutes trying to catch my breath . The bruise lasted for a month . So lucky it didn't puncture my chest .

Scott Keelan > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
09/18/2013 at 17:42

I wear the proper safety equipment when I am the one operating a weed-whacker, it's projectile foreign objects from landscapers that scares me.

Scott Keelan > pdthedeuce
09/18/2013 at 17:44

Holy cow. That is incredible.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > pdthedeuce
09/18/2013 at 18:21

WOW.

So lucky that it didn't puncture, indeed.

That is scary.

I am glad you're OK afterward.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Scott Keelan
09/18/2013 at 18:24

Now here's an interesting though: could the same type of glass (Corning Gorilla Glass) that is used in cell phone screens be applied to a car window? If so, would it offer any better protection? Surely someone has already looked into it.

(Also, could it be applied to solar panels, to provide a very scratch/blowing dirt/sand resistant solar panel?)

ddavidn > Scott Keelan
09/18/2013 at 19:00

I stopped mowing the lawn yesterday because some lady with her baby in one of those tiny strollers didn't bother to cross the street, was just going to walk right next to the lawnmower I was running.

Scott Keelan > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/18/2013 at 19:58

I vaguely remember hearing some car company recently used that type of smartphone glass in the rear window. I'm pretty sure it was a sports/super/hyper car and the glass was used to cover the rear-engined bay but I do remember reading about it.

Scott Keelan > ddavidn
09/18/2013 at 20:00

Internet high five to you sir. I wish more people with landscaping equipment were as considerate.

Kinja'd!!!

Kailand09 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/18/2013 at 21:35

My guess is no. From a structural standpoint, gorilla glass just shatters throughout the whole screen when it actually shatters. It is more brittle so that it can be tougher against scratches. Think glass versus acrylic. The acrylic scratches super easy, but won't break really. Glass shatters, but doesn't scratch as easily.

In the same way, windshields are made so that they do not completely shatter and that's why that OP picture has it still chilling in the glass.

ddavidn > Scott Keelan
09/18/2013 at 22:36

Internet high-five complete.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Kailand09
09/19/2013 at 16:51

Well, rather than making all the laminate layers of the windshield out of gorilla glass, how about just the outside layer?

Kailand09 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/19/2013 at 18:23

You could, but again the problem is it's resistance to stress. Scratch resistant materials are much different than impact resistant, so gorilla glass (again this is just my intuition) would likely just shatter, and only offer benefits from resistance to scratching.

Stock windshields tend to do OK in that category already anyway. I think the only solution to better protection is that of bullet-proof glass. If you read about ballistic glass (bulletproof glass) you'll find it isn't completely glass at all, it is part plastic to help prevent shattering from impact.