Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Random auto safety thought
I did a piece on wraparound windshields a few years ago. Wraparounds were a stupid fad started by GM.
New thought: For once GM missed an advertising point.
Wraparound windshields were a safety feature. (Sort of.)
Before 1949, windshields were flat or nearly flat, and close to vertical. The dashboard started from the nearest point on the bottom of the glass. With split v-shaped glass, the middle of the dash had about 3 inches of clearance from the glass, but the left and right ends were still flush.
In that configuration, seat belts and padding don't make any difference. Your head WILL hit the glass and probably shatter it.
Starting in '49, and especially with Ford, the V got deeper and turned into a curve, but the dashboard was still directly under the left and right ends.
The wraparound moved the entire base of the glass forward by about 9 inches, leaving a flat package shelf on top of the dash. Now it was easier for a belt to keep your head away from the glass, so padding was worth the trouble.
Later correction: It's more accurate to say that the wraparound moved the dashboard back by 9 inches, not the glass forward. The delta is still the same: better chance to hit the pad before the glass.
Labels: Answered better than asked
¶ 1:47 AM
