Yeah, it's odd the duality. Massive improvements for quality of life and scientific research, but at the same time they still imprison small-time protestors like this poor guy and don't have basic social things like gay marriage.

Far more people have died from being ejected through the window, which is why the testing requirements in 49 CFR §571.226 were expanded to now in effect require at least laminated glass for front passenger windows along with curtain airbags in new vehicles. Deaths from being trapped by laminated glass are overwhelmingly the product of improper identification of the glass type and/or lack of the correct tool - laminated glass is very easily cleared when one is both trained and expecting it, even using tools like a standard fire axe or crowbar, but the technique is not obvious and unexpected complications in high pressure situations are paid for with lives.

With a specialized tool like a rescue glass saw the window can be removed in seconds, and the lives saved by preventing ejection in a high speed impact or rollover far outweigh those lost to being trapped by fire. It's a dreadful algebra, but moving the industry towards using laminated glass was the correct decision.

If you're concerned, get a dedicated laminated glass extraction tool; I have used & carry with me a lifeline evac pro and it performed very well, although it's absurdly expensive - I recommend picking up one of the many clones of the tool, which I doubt will last for more than a handful of escapes or rescues, but unless you are in emergency response or live in a particularly accident-prone region (as I do) you (I very much hope) will never need to perform multiple rescues in your lifetime and can absolutely use the cheaper knockoff designs.

Oh my goodness the nostalgia! I haven't seen someone unironically do the "there's no such thing as altruism" bit since I left reddit. Go on, now argue that those resources could be better used by their own citizens!

The regulations stipulate windshields must be made of laminated glass, insulated glass (a Multiple Glazed Unit), bullet resistant glass or (except in convertibles or other vehicles without a roof) glass-plastic. It also allows for equivalent-or-higher performance materials that may be developed in the future but are not covered by the current standards.

I was curious as my car has laminated side windows, and dug into it possibly far further than was entirely sane. The summary is yes, you can indeed use shatterproof glass in passenger windows.

This can be found in 49 CFR § 571.205 S5.1, which specifies all glazing materials must conform to ANSI/SAE Z 26.1-1996. If we look at ANSI/SAE Z 26.1-2007 (a later update of the standard which is not meaningfully different for our purposes - I have elected to link to it here rather than 1996 as it is able to be found online without a paywall) and go to Table 1, Page 10, Items 1, 2, 10 and 11A, we can see that standards are given for the use of laminated glass for all positions (item 1), all positions except windshield (item 2), bullet-resistant glass for all window positions (10) and specifically laminated bullet-resistant glass for all positions except windshield (11A)

Yeah, when it's shot.

Maybe we could livestream it.

Goodness gracious, really? Why I simply had no idea at all.

(Er, yes. The screenshot was a joke. Admittedly a more depressing one than I'd even realized when I took the screenshot, but still)

Your experience has been very different from my own, I guess.

Lmfao I didn't even think of that aspect. I was just riffing on the stereotype of the anarchist community - online anarchist spaces have more ideological schisms than the fuckin' Baptists and they're constantly trying to find enough people that they can effectively maintain a space. It's exhausting to the point of hilarity to slog through.

You mean like, create some kind of plan? Possibly by weighing their options, so that they have a clear path once they get legislative authority?

Wild.

Lmao getting some real whiplash scrolling thru my feed this evening...