Leaving your car keys inside and being locked out is common. While breaking a car window is usually the last resort, it might be the only option in many cases. Below will give you 10 tips and tricks on how to break a car window in an emergency.
You are supposed to use an emergency hammer, a car escape tool, a heavy object, a spark plug, broken ceramic, duct tape, a headrest, punch and kicks, porcelain bits, or a soundproof blanket.
Please read on.
How to Break a Car Window?
Here are effective ways on how to break a car window:
Use An Emergency Hammer
Using a safety hammer in an emergency is one of the best ways to break the glass in your car. Keep it nearby at all times. Most models also have a tiny blade for seatbelt cutting.
Car Escape Tool
We stated that the safety hammer, which is connected to the car escape tool, was the joint best way to break a window. The principle here is the same, as the plan is to provide a lot of force to as small a surface area as possible.
This time, however, you don’t use a car escape tool. Instead, you place it on your window and push it. The spring inside will work once you do that. This will instantly shatter the window by propelling a spike at high speed, which you can then push out.
A great feature of these devices is that they are very small. They are simple to hang from your car mirror or put on your keyring. Whatever you do, ensure that you have it in a place that is easy to reach.
Use a Heavy Object
You ought to be able to break the glass using a sizable, heavy object whether you’re inside or outside your car. Your best chance for escape or rescue in any circumstance is always a side window because the windshield is made to be virtually unbreakable. Wait until the emergency is over before worrying about replacing your auto glass. Strike hard and aim for the weakest corner of the glass next to the frame.
Use a Spark Plug
A spark plug is the ideal tool if you’re standing outside a locked car and need to break a window because of an emergency. Tempered glass can be cut through with ease by broken porcelain because it is so powerful and sharp. Your car’s spark plug should be taken out and broken on the ground. Select the largest piece of porcelain and throw it as hard as you can against any window other than the windshield. Once everyone is secure, our auto glass replacement experts can assist you in fixing the damage.
Broken Ceramic
Where can you find ceramic? You can use the ceramic pieces that are broken off of one of your spark plugs after it has been crushed. These are often referred to as “ninja rocks” because, in contrast to other techniques, they are also quiet.
Of course, there are some serious drawbacks to this approach. The spark plug must be easy to remove and break without putting yourself in danger. When you could have broken the window with another technique, none of this is necessary and only takes time.
Use a Duct Tape
If you want to smash your window’s glass without shattering it, use duct tape. This method is not only less messy but also incredibly effective. Inside and out, duct tape the window. You’ll likely require more supplies than you have at home. So better be prepared and stock up.
Use any tool you have to crush the glass once it is ready. The tape quiets the sound of shattering glass. Furthermore, the tape will hold the glass fragments, so there are no concerns there. Another way to catch the falling pieces is with a thick blanket. Plus, it further decreases noise.
Headrest
Although your car’s headrests weren’t designed to break windows, if you’re trapped inside they may be able to help you escape. Remove a headrest and shove one metal peg into the base of a window frame, where the window retracts. Then quickly pull the headrest towards you to shatter the glass. This method will work on any of your side windows, but not the windshield.
Punch and Kicks
If you’ve read everything until this point, you’ll already know why this method would be a struggle. The windows are extremely robust against blunt force.
To break a window, particularly from the inside, you’ll need an enormous amount of punching force. The right punching technique is to punch through an object. Imagine you are attempting to strike a target that is a few inches outside the glass. For fear of being hurt, many people hold back. You have to be brave and give it your all in an emergency.
Put a sharper object between your kick or punch for a more effective technique. For example, you can try to secure your keys as best as possible to your hand and punch them with that. Alternatively, you can try and kick through your keys if you are inside to reduce the surface area of your foot.
Porcelain Bits
Very low density glasses are used in the side windows, making it simple to break them with any hard, pointed object. The spark plug was the ideal tool for smashing car windows. Sadly, due to misuse, manufacturers have stopped producing the old, reliable design.
The porcelain bit is another respectable choice for the spark plug. Its sharp edges are how this product functions. However, since a porcelain bit isn’t intended for breaking car windows, it would be best if you used extra caution when using one to prevent injury.
Fortunately, if you throw the broken pieces of porcelain from a safe distance, you can safely smash your car’s windows. Therefore, use some pressure when hurling porcelain pieces at the car window to make sure they shatter easily. Remember that you’ve to be careful to avoid being hit by glass shards.
Soundproof Blanket
Like ordinary pillows, soundproofing blankets are sturdy and thick, making them a great choice for dampening impact noise. This thick material should be folded to increase its thickness and put against the entire window glass before hitting it with a tool.
Similarly, you don’t want to hit very hard to prevent glass shards from everywhere in your car. Hit gently on the window’s edge for an effective, quiet, and mess-free breaking experience.
Why Are Car Windows Difficult to Break?
Laminated glass is used for the side windows and some rear windows on many newer vehicle models. In actuality, this kind of glass is much more resistant to breaking than tempered glass, which shatter when it does. In the event of a collision, laminated glass decreases your chance of being ejected from your car. Statistics show that laminated glass will protect you from harm and even death better than tempered glass.
Laminated glass, however, might stop you from breaking the glass in the improbable scenarios mentioned above. If you have a punch tool designed to break glass in an emergency in your car, it won’t work on windows made of laminated glass.
Several Safety Precautions to Take When Breaking Glass
- Know your glass
The type of glass you’re going to break must be identified. For instance, unlike a car window, safety glasses cannot be broken. Safety glasses are made of two layers with a plastic layer in between. They are quiet and simple to destroy.
- Wear safety gear
We are aware that protective clothing, such as gloves, boots, and glasses, are not always available to be worn. Wear long sleeve shirts, jackets, shoes, and anything else that would protect your hands if you can. Before you break them, it’s important to defend yourself.
- Clean up the space
Although breaking glass can be messy, you must first secure it in some way.
Due to the risk of glass injury, take precautions to ensure that nobody enters the area. First and foremost, make certain that no children or pets are in the vicinity of the vehicle.
FAQs
Can a Small Rock Break a Car Window?
Rock chips caused by gravel and other small, hard debris is the most common culprit of nicks and chips in auto glass. To lessen the chance of hitting debris, avoid construction zones whenever you can, and always maintain a large following distance between your car and work trucks.
Can a Screwdriver Break a Car Window?
They have a tiny metal hammer that can smash a car window with just one blow. A screwdriver would serve the same purpose (you could also use a flat head screwdriver to break the window in the same fashion as the removable headrest).
Can I Break My Car Window from the Inside?
Some cars come equipped with emergency hammers and tempered glass. If an emergency hammer is unavailable, remove the headrest from the driver or front passenger seats and use the metal part to break out the window.
Summary: How to Break a Car Window?
While I hope you don’t need to smash your window, emergencies happen. And if doing so requires breaking a window, go for it. Better still, have an EMT device or an emergency hammer to crack the car window.
Unable to escape a heated vehicle, you might be saving a child or a pet. A porcelain bit would be helpful under these conditions. Nobody is aware of why it frequently breaks windows silently. Use duct tape and a thick blanket or soundproof blanket to clean up the mess. Protect yourself and those around you first.
Lastly, make sure there are no glass shards inside your car before you start driving.
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