We’ve just begun covering the “ABCs” of windshield replacement. Earlier, we started with “A” because, well, it’s “A.” It’s the first letter of the alphabet! 🙄 Anyways… We started with “A” and talked about Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and how this relates to windshield replacement.

Next up?! “B” of course! And in this case, “B” stands for Backlight. Don’t know what backlight is? Keep reading to find out!

When talking about auto glass and windshield replacement, the most common piece of auto glass that tends to get damaged is the windshield. From small chips to large cracks, front windshields are the front line (see what we did there) in the battle your vehicle faces while driving around our Arizona roadways. And while front windshields are incredibly important to overall vehicle safety, we can’t forget about the other types of windows and types of auto glass.

🚘 Types of Auto Glass.

I think it’s fair to say that we all know that windows are made up of glass. In general, there are 3 types of glass (annealed glass, tempered glass, and laminated glass); and 2 types of auto glass (tempered glass and laminated glass). Although front windshields used to be made of tempered glass, modern windshields are now made with laminated glass. In fact, the US requires that all automobile and windshield manufacturers only use laminated glass for the front windshield. Why?! To put it simply, laminated glass is stronger, more durable, and holds up to stress much better than tempered or annealed glass.

While the front windshield is required to be made of laminated glass, there is still a place for tempered glass in some of the other types of windows.

“🅱️” Stands for Backlight.

The front windshield gets the most attention because of it’s such a huge part of your vehicle. It’s obviously huge in the physical sense as the front windshield is typically the largest piece of auto glass on the vehicle. But the front windshield is also a huge part of your vehicle in the safety sense. The front windshield serves multiple functions that are absolutely crucial to the overall safety of your car.

But we can’t forget about the rear windshield! This is where the “B” comes into play. Did you know that the rear windshield is typically referred to as the Backlight (or Backlite) in the auto glass industry? The Backlight is typically the second largest piece of auto glass on a vehicle, although some vehicles actually have a larger rear windshield than front windshield.

Although the Backlight doesn’t have the same potential for human impact in the event of an accident, the rear windshield still serves an integral role in passenger protection. The Backlight is typically made of tempered glass, rather than the laminated glass used in the front windshield. Although tempered glass is not quite as strong as laminated glass, tempered glass is designed to shatter in small pebble-like fragments that have dull rather than sharp edges to help minimize potential injuries to the back seat passengers.

So, what’s the main takeaway here?!

To put it simply, the 2 largest pieces of glass on your vehicle – the front windshield and the rear windshield, which you now know is often referred to as Backlight – are absolutely vital to driver and passenger safety. Which makes it just as vital to take care of any windshield damage as soon as possible.

Chipped or Cracked Windshield?

Whether it’s your front windshield or your backlight (aka rear windshield) that’s damaged, Auto Glass 2020 can expertly handle ALL auto glass. And what’s even better?! With our mobile windshield replacement service, we can send out our expert technicians directly to wherever is most convenient for YOU. It doesn’t get any better than that. And of course, we are always available for in-shop windshield replacement at our local Chandler, AZ auto glass shop! So don’t keep driving around town with windshield damage. Call Auto Glass 2020 today at (480) 283-7751 or get a quote here!