A bright summer day sounds like a beautiful time to drive around, but you could find your experience affected by a strong sun glare across the windshield. Proper visibility is key to driving safety, and you wonder why the windshield wasn’t designed to reduce sun glare. A quick Google search tells you polarized glass reduces glare, and you wonder why or whether your windshield was polarized or not. Wonder no more, as we’ll be discussing whether windshields are polarized or not.
Car windshields are usually not polarized because the process isn’t cost-effective for most manufacturers. Also, there are legislations against the polarization of windshields in many countries.
We’ll discuss in detail below why car windshields are usually not polarized. You’ll learn more about polarization and how it applies o glass in this article. Continue reading to learn more.
What Is A Polarized Glass?
Polarized glass is a special type of glass that has been treated with a chemical to reduce or limit glare. Polarized glass is usually found as window treatments, in sunglasses, and sometimes in windshields (more on this later).
The glare you see on your windshield or other glass is due to the reflection of light by the smooth surface of the glass. However, polarized glass doesn’t reflect light as much as unpolarized glass, and this significantly reduces the glare produced by the glass.
Polarized glass also has other benefits apart from reducing glare. They are also more resistant to corrosion, scratching, heat, and impact, and do not deform easily. Simply put, polarization can make glass better.
Are Car Windshields Polarized?
Car windshields are not usually polarized. Only a few car manufacturers produce automobiles with polarized windshields, and they include Audi, BMW, Ford, and others. There are a number of reasons why most car windshields aren’t polarized, and they include the following:
Cost
Polarization is an expensive process. Done on small pieces of glass, the process can be cost-effective. But for large pieces of glass such as the windshield, polarizing them is simply not cost-effective for many manufacturers. So, many car manufacturers will choose not to polarize the windshield.
Safety
While polarized glass reduces glare by reducing light waves coming from a particular angle, the overall effect is still a reduction in the number of light waves passing through the glass. As a result, the polarized glass would reduce visibility at night.
Cheaper Alternatives
Drivers can simply wear special anti-glare driving glasses to deal with sun glare or install a polarized tint on the windshield to reduce glare. These options are far cheaper than polarizing the windshield.
Regulations
In many parts of Europe and in some States in the US, it’s against the law to polarize the windshield mainly due to the safety reasons described above. As a result, it makes no sense for car manufacturers to polarize the windshield of vehicles to be sold in those areas.
Tinted Windshield – An Alternative To Polarized Windshield
Even if you can afford the cost of polarizing your windshield, the regulations in your area may not allow you to do so. In such situations, you always have the option of tinting your window with a special filtering film. The film is made of polarized tinted layers that reduce glare the way the polarized glass will do.
Many people think window tints are done for privacy or aesthetics. But the truth is that there are many practical benefits of polarized window tints, which are similar to polarized glass. It’s worth mentioning that there are regulations guiding polarized window tints. In many countries, the tint must let at least 75% of light pass through if it’s applied to the windshield. For front-side windows, the percentage of light that must pass through the tint is 70%.
The benefits of tinting a windshield are similar to what you’d expect from polarized glass, and they include the following:
Reduce Glare
This is the most obvious benefit of tinting your windshield. It’s common knowledge that driving on a sunny day can result in distracting glare, especially when you are driving on highways or if there is water on the road. Sometimes, drivers experience glare-induced blindness that makes them unable to see for a few seconds. And sometimes, a few moments of distraction or loss of vision is all that is needed for an accident to happen.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 9,000 car accidents are caused by glares. When you think about it, this is a concerning figure, and you should take glare more seriously than you previously did. Polarized tinted glass will not only reduce glares but will also make long-distance more comfortable.
Make Your Car Cool
Polarized tinted layers make your car cool in every sense of the word. For one, your car will look more aesthetically pleasing. But by now, you know tinted layers are more than just the aesthetics. The interior of your car will also be cooler as the polarized tint film will block out some of the rays and, consequently, heat from the sun.
You’ll appreciate this more if you live in areas with hot weather as you won’t have to use the air conditioner as much. It’s an open secret that the air-conditioning unit in your car loves nothing more than to suck fuel. So, you’ll see an improvement in the fuel economy of your vehicle.
Heavy Protection From A Light Tint
You don’t need a heavy tint to obtain all the benefits we discussed above. In most cases, all you need is a light tint. It’ll perform excellently if installed by a professional.
Tips About Driving With A Sun Glare
Driving in the sun is mostly unavoidable, especially if you live in areas with hot weather. When you notice sun glares popping up when driving, the first and most important thing to do is to slow down. Sun glare can be distracting and even blind you for a second, so you want to drive slower to avoid an accident and improve your reaction time.
Also, put more space between yourself and the vehicle directly in front of you. Keep your windshield clean, and wear driving glasses that are designed to reduce glare. This is a cheaper depolarizing windshield, as discussed above. You’ll find no shortage of driving glasses when you search for one online.
