Retention Characteristics of Production Laminated Side Windows

Field accident data have demonstrated that occupant ejection during vehicle rollover is associated with a high risk of serious and fatal injury. Although it has been demonstrated that seat belt use is highly effective in preventing occupant ejections, it has been argued that occupant containment during rollover can be accomplished with the use of laminated side glazing. This study was conducted to evaluate the retention characteristics of production laminated side windows. The current vehicle fleet was surveyed for vehicles equipped with production laminated side glass. The survey examined relevant window system parameters including glass retention system, glass configuration, and window geometry. A representative subset of five front door systems from several manufacturers was chosen for further evaluation. In addition, one legacy rear door system with laminated glass was included for comparison. Drop tests were conducted on the production component door-glass systems utilizing an 18 kg (40 lb) headform at an impact speed of 24 km/h (15 mph). None of the tested window systems retained the headform under these loading conditions. Given the results of this study, together with the NHTSA's previous measurements of occupant effective mass, it is concluded that production laminated side glass is not an effective barrier to occupant ejection during rollover.