Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and your Factory Windshield Seal

The factory installed windshield retaining seal is so vital to the windshield performance as part of the vehicle’s crash management system that a replaced windshield must not compromise any safety standards that were part of the original vehicle design when the automobile rolled of the assembly line. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) mandates this in conjunction with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).


It is for this reason that Safe Glass Technologies suggests REPAIR as your first option. Our process preserves the original factory installed, climate-controlled, windshield retaining seal.The following are some of the safety standards governing windshields and their retaining seals.

FMVSS 205 (Glazing Materials) –
This standard requires automotive manufacturers to label and use proper safety automotive glass in a motor vehicle.

FMVSS 208 (Occupant Crash Protection) –
This standard specifies performance requirements for the protection of vehicle occupants and encompasses all safety related components, including the passenger-side air bag, which deploys into the windshield at approx. 200mph. There can be no separation of load bearing safety assemblies in a 30 mph. barrier crash. It is the responsibility of the windshield retaining seal to accomplish this.

FMVSS 212 (Windshield Retention)-
This standard states that a windshield must be retained in place during a frontal collision. The vehicle must retain 75% of the windshield and some manufacturers require 100% retention.It is the responsibility of the windshield retaining seal to accomplish this.

FMVSS 216 (Roof Crush Resistance)-
This standard establishes structural strength standards to protect vehicle occupants during a rollover. The windshield provides vital support to the roof in this type of accident. If a windshield retaining seal is not installed properly, it may allow the windshield to come out of a vehicle during collision leading to serious injury or death. It is the responsibility of the windshield retaining seal to prevent this.

FMVSS 219 (Windshield Intrusion Test)-
This standard applies to the ability of the windshield to keep foreign objects from penetrating the windshield. The windshield and the retaining seal protect occupants. The windshield can displace no more than ¼ inch from its retaining seal. It is the responsibility of the windshield retaining seal to accomplish this.

As you can see the common thread in all the regulations is the original factory installed windshield retaining seal. Safe Glass Technologies repair process never jeopardizes this critical element and whenever possible you should not either.

“Your safety is not an option… It is our first priority.”