In the past, laminated glass was usually installed in the windshield, with side and rear windows being tempered only.
The difference is that tempered glass is per-stressed so that when it cracks, it shatters into many tiny and dull pieces. Laminated is the same thing, but with layers of plastic sandwiched with layers of tempered glass. Laminated glass will still shatter, but will be held together by the plastic layers.
In an emergency, small improvised, or purpose built tools meant to shatter tempered glass will be useless if the glass is laminated.
Anyone know of a reasonable tool that can get through laminated glass and be kept near the drivers seat?
In the states? Gun.
Rest of the world? Crowbar?
Not a handgun if you want to be able to exit through the opening. Under water? Not sure a shotgun will even be helpful unless you fire at all corners to break it up more thoroughly.
18 pounder cannon, as the founding father’s intended.
vixtorinox (swiss army) rescue tool. It’s a locked knife - most probably illegal in many places.
A “Glass-Master” is what I used in the fire service. Goes a lot faster than you would think.
I would guess you could use a regular tool for breaking a normal window, then cut through the plastic with a sturdy knife. Not great to need two tools in an emergency though, and keeping a combat knife in your glove box might raise some eyebrows.
Unfortunately, being difficult to get through is the whole point
They make safety glass shatter tools and they usually also come with seatbelt cutters attached to them as well. Looks like a really large, sharp ballpoint pen tip.
These don’t work on laminated glass.
I thought ‘victorinox rescue tool’ works for laminated glass. It even has glass cutter.
Small bits of ceramic, like from a broken spark plug easily shatter any tempered glass even when thrown lightly. https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/why-do-spark-plugs-break-windows
They asked about laminated glass not tempered glass.
Laminated, not just tempered. There’s a strong layer of plastic inside the window. Even if you shatter the glass you still can’t get out.