Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205 sets requirements for the penetration resistance of windshields upon impact while Standard 212 regulates windshield retention in crashes. The High Penetration Resistant (HPR) windshield, developed during the 1960's, was designed to crumple and deform at speeds where earlier windshields would have been penetrated by head impacts. Adhesive bonding provided a tighter windshield installation method than earlier rubber gasket designs. The objectives of this agency staff evaluation are to determine if HPR windshields and adhesive bonding achieved their performance objectives in highway crashes and to measure their casualty-reducing benefits, side effects and costs. The study is based on statistical analyses of National Crash Severity Study, New York, Texas, Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation and Fatal Accident Reporting System Data. It was found that: HPR glazing doubled the impact velocity needed for the occupant's head to penetrate the windshield, preventing 39,000 serious lacerations and 8,000 facial fractures per year; Adhesive bonding halved windshield bond separation and occupant ejection through the windshield portal, saving 105 lives per year; HPR glazing did not increase the risk of concussions and adhesive bonding did not increase the injuries of persons who were not ejected; HPR glazing added $6 (in 1982 dollars) to the lifetime cost of owning and operating a car, but adhesive bonding saved $15 per car.
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