Automotive Glass Standards

Customers at car shows and swap meets regularly ask two questions and whilst both questions are important, they are likely coming from different perspectives.

First question/s “Does the glass supplied by Glass 4 Classics meet all Automotive Glass Standards and is it marked accordingly?”  (yes I know, that is really two questions!).

The second question is, “Can any old toughened glass, laminated glass or Perspex be used in car windows”.

The answer to these questions are: 

Answer to question one:  Glass 4 Classics only supplies glass that meets or exceeds Automotive Glass Standards and is marked accordingly.

The answer to the second question, “Can any old glass be used in the car?”

1. That is an emphatic, NO
2. There are national standards that must be complied with. i.e. there are laws that because of these standards tell you what you can and can’t use.
3. The standards are there to ensure your kept as safe as possible when driving and to reduce injury because of an accident. These standards and the state laws that enforce them make sense.

There are those who may choose not to comply with these standards and look for ways around the laws that enforce them. This no different to those on our roads who choose to flaunt the road rules. Whilst they may get away with it, people are killed and maimed on our roads every day, because someone thought they knew better and decided to break those rules. Not running a red light, not overtaking across an unbroken line, not exceeding the speed limit are examples of laws that are there to keep us as safe as possible when we drive. Likewise, the rules and regulations relating to our car windscreens and windows (body glass) are there for our good.

“Auto glass such as windscreens and body glass used in Australia, whether it be original or replacement glass, must comply with the national standard cited as Australian Design Rule (ADR) 8/01- Safety Glazing Material 2005.”

The Department of Infrastructure and Transport is responsible for administrating this rule on behalf of the administrator of vehicle standards.

The function of this national standard is to specify the performance requirements of material used for external or internal glazing in vehicles to:

• Ensure adequate visibility under normal operating conditions
• Minimize obscuration when shattered
• Reduce the likelihood of serious injury if a person comes in contact with any broken glazing material.

All material used for external and internal vehicle glazing must have properties at least equivalent to the requirements of one or more of the following standards.

1. Australian and New Zealand Standard  – AS/NZS2080: 2006 ‘Safety Glass for Land Vehicles’.
2. Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) R-43/00 ‘Uniform Provisions Concerning Approval Of Safety Glazing And Glazing Materials’ 
3. British Standards Institution – BS AU178a: 1992 ‘Road Vehicle Safety Glass’.
4. Japanese Industrial Standard – JIS R 3211: 1998 ‘Safety Glazing Materials for Road Vehicles’
5. American National Standard – ANSI Z 26.1: 1996 ‘Safety Glazing Materials for Glazing Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment Operating on Land Highways – Safety Standard’. (U.S.A. Dept. Of Transport License)

How do I know if my glass complies with these standards?

The ‘compliance mark’, also known as a bug, logo or glass monogram is the secret to identifying compliant glass. Auto safety glass needs to have one to be legally compliant. 

*Note that AS/NZS 2080:2006 is only one of the approved standards that specified in Australian Design Rule 8/01. Providing the glass has a marking indicating it complies with any of the above standards, it is legally acceptable in Australia.

For further reference material see our article Standards & rules – windscreens & body glass. 

If you have any questions please contact us and we will be happy to answer your questions where we can, or at least point you in the right direction.