Laminated vs tempered glass: why a window punch fails on a windshield

Spring loaded window punches and pen style glass breakers work on tempered glass. They do very little on laminated glass. Knowing which is which before you swing saves seconds at a crash and keeps you from beating on a windshield with a tool that cannot open it.

Tempered glass

Side and rear windows on most vehicles are tempered. The glass is heat treated so the surface is under compression. Break that surface at one point and the whole pane crumbles into small pieces. A sharp, hard point does it. That is what a basic punch does, and what the BeakPuncture Tip™ on the Good Dude BRB™ is for.

Laminated glass

Windshields are laminated: two sheets of glass bonded to a plastic interlayer. Hit one and you get a crack and a dent, and the interlayer holds the sheet together. That is the point of the design. It keeps occupants inside in a crash and keeps objects out. Some newer vehicles also use laminated glass in the front side windows for noise and security, so the window you have always punched may not break the way you expect.

Opening laminated glass

You have to cut through the interlayer, not just crack the glass. Fire crews do it with a glass saw or a Halligan and a lot of effort. The GlassRipper Profile™ on the BRB is a cutting profile shaped to bite the laminate and rip a line through it, so a patrol officer can open a windshield without waiting for the rescue truck.

Check the glass on your own car and your patrol car

Look at the corner of each window for the glazing label. It states laminated or tempered, sometimes abbreviated. Front side windows marked laminated will not respond to a punch. Know that before the call.

One tool for both

The Good Dude BRB™ carries both ends: the BeakPuncture Tip™ for tempered glass and the GlassRipper Profile™ for laminated glass, with a flat pry profile for interior doors. It is 10.5 inches, 1.25 pounds, and 420HC stainless steel, sized for a cargo pocket or a MOLLE panel so it is on you when the call comes.

Black Box Safety, Inc. supplies body armor, carriers, and duty gear to law enforcement agencies from El Cajon, California, and ships UPS across the West Coast and the continental United States. CA DVBE Cert. 2009473. SDVOSB.