Do windows and/or windshield have UVA and UVB protection?

Last summer I drove across Wyoming in a westward direction in the middle of the day in a rented Camry. I had trouble keeping my left arm out of the sun. I kept trying to cover it with napkins, t-shirt, anything I could find, but I still wound up with a mild sunburn on that arm. I have had that happen before with other cars in similar circumstances.

 

that's not good

 

The study (and other articles, including reputable cancer societies) mention the higher frequency of skin cancers on the let side of the body, especially of skin exposed during driving (arm, face, etc). Something to consider.

 

scary, because most people think they are protected

 

Here is the answer. Go to 2:30 if a 4 minute video is too long.

 

No worries, mate. ​

 

Agree - here, it's the RH arm. Since Laminated Windscreens came in in the '70s (which block most), the burning sensation from side windows seemed more pronounced. Prior to that, I'd drive long distances in long trousers & shirt, but remember hands sunburned.

 

UV radiation from the sun, associated with about 90 percent of all skin cancers, reaches the earth as long- wavelength UVA and shortwave UV B rays. glass effectively blocks UVB, and windshields are specially treated to block UVA as well, but a car's side and rear windows allow UVA to penetrate.

So, some deserved treatment of the side and rear windows is appropriate.
Ever state has different window darkness laws.

 

You can even get a clear film - it is close to the effectiveness of darker tints. It's used mostly in domestic situations where people want to retain the view, but protect furniture and fabrics from fading (and potentially reduce A/C costs).

 

this is all very disturbing. even my harvard trained and associate professor of dermatology thinks auto glass protects you from harmful uv.

 

I often have disagreements with my doctor (I don't argue - just ignore him) - I generally try to avoid him.

Fact sheet - Tinted windows - National Cancer Control Policy

There is another advantage of tinting, it makes it more shatter resistant - I found this on GOOGLE so it must be right:

"The most important advantage of window tint is also the least known. While the windshield is made of a glass and plastic laminate, the side and rear windows are made of tempered glass. In case of an accident, they shatter into thousands of tiny chunks. Window tint film keeps the majority of these from flying around and showering the occupants, adding an extra safety measure in case of an accident. Any quality tinting film, 3M included, is strong enough to hold the glass together even in the worst of accidents."

AND

"... Would be thieves stand less chance of breaking a tinted window...".

 

Yep. Much less shattering.

But to play devil's advocate here, I think this only unencourages some theft. IDK about Prius's (Prii?), but locksmiths can unlock your car without breaking the window haha.

 

This is old news, but 2014 figures were similar.

 

Hmm. Good to know. I wonder if theft rate is of the whole vehicle or break-ins for stealing items.

 

the article states that uv is usually much lower inside a vehicle than outside, but different glasses differ in protection. still leaving us with a lot of unanswered questions.

 

Well we can’t turn off the sun, so maybe we should all move underground.

 

I don't know about modern tinting, but I had added expensive 3M tinting to my 97 Subaru about 10 years ago. An unopened soda can was left in the cup holder, and it exploded on a hot summer day. Before the tinting, I had done this occasionally with no accidents. With full legal tinting, something caused the can to over-pressurize.

Was it lack of UV-A blocking? I don't know, but I still got tanned driving in this car after the tinting was applied. As far I am concerned, the tinting created an issue more than it helped. I couldn't tell you what it blocked, yet still got hot as the blazes. My Touring has tint applied, but since I am the 3rd owner I don't know if it is factory or aftermarket.

 

G'day,
While commercial glass will substantially absorb most solar UV wavelengths that get past our ozone-layer, solar light and heat (infra-red) wavelengths get through with much less absorption in the glass.
So there is still a 'greenhouse' effect ('glass-house' actually) inside a glass-windowed car, so things inside heat up, particularly if in direct light exposure (radiant heating).
Possibly just bad luck about where the sun was shining into the car with regards to the can overheating, and maybe that particular can was also part of that 'incident' occurring.
The 3M film's optical properties could reduce heat inside the car escaping by radiation to aggravate temperature build-up inside the car as a minor contributor to that situation - I don't know.
David S.

 

I have these plastic beads (for kids) that change from white to various colors under UVA/UVB light. They are completely white indoors and turn to various bright colors in the sunlight.

Out of curiosity I used them a while back to test the windows. This is, of course, a completely unscientific study. They do turn to colors under the front windshield and side windows of a Prius Prime. I didn't try the back windows.

edit add: I've since learned (through 'science' Youtube videos), that these beads are -very- sensitive to UV light, so the windshields could still be blocking a lot of the UV light and they could still change color.

 

it would be cool to have an instrument that gave readings.