Are panoramic glass roofs in cars safe?

We usually focus on the aesthetic appeal of the panoramic roof in the vehicle, yet we rarely stop to think about whether it adds to or takes away from the safety of our car…

It is often said that in the event of an accident, cars with a panoramic roof tend to come off worse, and the general opinion tends to point in this direction. Today we will check whether the panoramic roof really reduces the safety of our vehicle or not.

Let’s start with the obvious. One of the most notable negative points of the panoramic roof, especially if it has no sunshade, is that in summer months the cabin will undoubtedly heat up more and, while we are driving, the sun can shine directly onto our skin, which under prolonged exposure can even suffer burns, etc.

If you want to make sure you improve your safety when travelling, we recommend you take a look at these useful tips for driving in the rain, so you can get ahead of the coming winter.

Apart from the sunshade, most panoramic roofs are now tinted, so the effect of external factors such as the sun will not be as problematic as before.

However, what about safety? Our information comes from the manufacturers’ own studies and opinions.

They claim that the rigidity of a roof into which a piece of glass is fitted as a panoramic roof is even greater than that of a single-piece metal roof. Obviously, this refers especially to torsional rigidity.

If you think about it carefully, it makes perfect sense. The thickness of the glass is considerably greater than the metal sheet it replaces. In addition, the anchoring systems of the panoramic or sunroof reinforce its resistance to being twisted.

In the event of an accident, however, these claims lose strength, since if we roll over, for example, the broken glass fragments could act as shrapnel against our own body, not to mention that any dangerous object or external agent could enter the vehicle through this opening.

Although this rare situation may occur, there are countless safety tests carried out by the various manufacturers, which have certainly reduced this possible anomaly to the maximum, even going so far as to reduce the danger should it occur.