Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • How safe are large glass car roofs?
  • thegreatape
    Free Member

    Not your traditional sunroof, but these big ones that make up half, 3/4 or the whole roof that are becoming more common. Obviously they aren’t going to be normal glass, and must have been tested plenty, but would you fancy one of those above you rather than some steel if you had the misfortune to roll on rough ground?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Presumabaly the A/B/C pilars are still as strong/stronger as would be the frame arround the roof so it’ll be as strong as anything else if you roll it, but I guess your thinking about landing on a pile of jagged rocks and one happening to go through the glass? I wouldn’t have thought it was any more likely than the same happening through a window or the screen?

    So I guess probably as strong in a crushing impact, but not a piercing one, but how often do you see car’s rolling into tiger traps full of punji sticks?

    They look safe enough to me.

    On a more serious note, the glass on some coaches is structural.
    I heard of a coach that was vandalised while parked overnight and had all the windows on one side broken. They had to replace all the glass where it was before it could be moved due to the risk of the bodywork permanently bending.

    sobriety
    Free Member

    iirc the windscreens on most modern cars are structural, at least in the event of a rollover.

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    I’m no expert but most car roofs are paper thin and quite easy to dent if you push on them so I would imagine that glass may well be stronger.. to a point where I assume it would just fail.

    shmuk
    Free Member

    would you fancy one of those above you rather than some steel if you had the misfortune to roll on rough ground?

    Ooer. How many vehicles have you rolled, such that you worry about the roof strength?

    thegreatape
    Free Member

    Yes, it was the possibility of piercing I was thinking of. Had one last week that ended up down a rocky bank on its roof (normal one) with minimal dents in the steel.

    I haven’t rolled any cars yet myself shmuk, but it’s common enough, hence wondering about how these new roofs hold up.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    I’ve flipped a car onto it’s roof – easily done if you drive like a knob. I’ve also come across two on their roofs, one guy swerved to avoid a deer and flipped it by hitting a stone wall, the other messed up overtaking on the A5 and had to be cut out.

    NB in all three cases the defining factor was young male inexperienced driver!

    Scamper
    Free Member

    Apparently the one on the Nissan Cumquat can take the weight of a bear or something.

    jenbe
    Free Member

    in the event of a crash you will die!

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    Apparently the one on the Nissan Cumquat can take the weight of a bear or something.

    Really? Grrrrrrr

    jon1973
    Free Member

    Apparently the one on the Nissan Cumquat can take the weight of a bear or something.

    That’s reassuring, although I can’t ever see a situation where that may be a problem in this country.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Personally wouldn’t like it much, if it fails the ABC pillars have little lateral support and could fold flat fairly easily. You’d hope they’d beef up the pillars to cope but IIRC there are no safety tests or standards for roll-over strength.
    Plus of course the first second it rolls the screen will smash and your hands are over your head in contact with the road.
    Plus, of course, if you get a stonechip it’s now a 400 quid window replacement.

    Not for me.

    kevj
    Free Member

    I was unfortunate enough to have a crash in my Rover Coupe which had a Targa roof.

    Roof glass shattered and I got a piece in my eye as my head hit the airbag.

    They are nice and safe until you crash.

    bravohotel8er
    Free Member

    They’ll seem like a mistake come the zombie outbreak.

    uwe-r
    Free Member

    A guy in work had a brick thrown off a motorway bridge on to the top his Qashqui roof (m602 in Salford). The roof cracked on the top but the shatterproof layer was fine inside and he drove it home. The car was almost a write of as they are v expensive to replace however it was a company car so he is still driving it.

    I have just got one and am loving it. 😆

    Wozza
    Free Member

    A guy in work had a brick thrown off a motorway bridge on to the top his Qashqui roof (m602 in Salford). The roof cracked on the top but the shatterproof layer was fine inside and he drove it home.

    If that happens to me I know at the very least the drivers seat is going to need replacing.

    jon1973
    Free Member

    If that happens to me I know at the very least the drivers seat is going to need replacing.

    I wonder if you could claim that off the insurance ?

    uwe-r
    Free Member

    When i say i got one, i mean i got a qashqui not a brick on the roof.

    Wozza
    Free Member

    Or a sh*t brick in the drivers seat. 😆

    uwe-r
    Free Member

    Yup that as well – just the car not the other things.

    And its a qashqai! i have mental block on remebering how to spell it.

Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)

The topic ‘How safe are large glass car roofs?’ is closed to new replies.