Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   AI6YR Ben (ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org)'s status on Sunday, 19-Apr-2026 08:28:37 JST AI6YR Ben

   • JL Johnson :veri_mast:

   @User47 I think, glass breaker from the inside might be the best approach, you can get small glass breakers that are keychain clippable. Then kick the window out if you are able to get your legs free.

   • Embed this notice
     Matt Blaze (mattblaze@federate.social)'s status on Sunday, 19-Apr-2026 08:28:35 JST Matt Blaze

     in reply to

     • JL Johnson :veri_mast:
     • Iris Young (he/they/she) (PhD)

     @iris @ai6yr @User47 the windshield is almost always laminated glass and not possible to break through from inside a car without some serious tools (like a big axe). Focus attention on side windows, which are usually tempered, as you note, and will break into beads once you fracture it.

   • Embed this notice
     Iris Young (he/they/she) (PhD) (iris@neuromatch.social)'s status on Sunday, 19-Apr-2026 08:28:36 JST Iris Young (he/they/she) (PhD)

     in reply to

     • JL Johnson :veri_mast:

     @ai6yr @User47 Glass in car windows is much easier to break at the edges, btw. Don't try smashing the center of a pane. Apply leverage at an edge with whatever's available.

     EDIT to add more info:

     - Something very sharp, like broken ceramic will work best against tempered glass. Tempering results in high internal stresses, and doing any damage at all is hard, but once you make a crack you'll probably shatter the whole window.

     - One of my sources contradicts me on the point of greatest weakness, and says it's the center. My intuition is that the center may fracture more easily with a sharp tool, but edges will be easier to apply strain to with blunt tools. But now that it's been called into question, I'm hesitant to make any claims for certain.

     - If you don't have a better tool at hand, the metal parts of the headrest are probably your best bet. One source suggests cramming them down the window channel and pulling the headrest toward you when they're as far in as you can get them.

     - Laminated glass is apparently not breakable by most tools. You can find out which type of glass you have in your car, if you own one.

     - If you're preparing a kit with a glass breaker tool, also consider a seatbelt cutter tool (within reach from the driver's seat!).

     Steve's Place repeated this.