Which type of vehicle glass is designed to break into small pieces rather than sharp shards?

Tempered glass is specifically engineered to enhance its strength and safety properties. When it breaks, tempered glass shatters into small, blunt pieces rather than sharp shards. This characteristic significantly reduces the risk of injury, making it ideal for automotive windows where safety is a top priority. The process of tempering involves heating the glass to high temperatures and then rapidly cooling it, which increases its strength and alters its fracture properties. This is why, in the context of vehicle safety, tempered glass is commonly used for side and rear windows in cars.

In contrast, other types of glass that were mentioned do not share these safety features. Plexiglas, for example, is an acrylic material that is more about clarity and flexibility than shatter resistance, while leaded glass is typically used for aesthetic purposes in windows and has a much different composition and breaking behavior. Alloy glass is not a standard term associated with vehicle glass manufacturing, making it less relevant in this context. Thus, the safety benefits of tempered glass are crucial when considering vehicle extrication and the minimization of injuries during accidents.