Safety of the panorama sunroof

[kip1]

What do you think about the safety of a panorama sunroof? I believe it is a hard glass coated with polycarbonate,but how well does it protect from something falling from an overhead bridge feg.

This video below of the new q7 has 2 sides. Firstly it doesnt break even when metal bends, on the other hand it pops out and falls on the head of the occupants...

Any thoughts, want to be safe!

[Barbera335]

I never saw it fall on the heads of occupants. It popped out and rolled over to the side, and that was in an extreme side collision. Not sure what the issue is here.

[kip1]

Just wondering wether ordering a Panorama roof is a safety compromise, but it seem from that video it outperforms metal?

[ajob]

I would like to know if the panorama roof is heavier than the standard sheet metal roof, for center of gravity considerations.

[kip1]

I tried asking, it usually is due to the safety stucture, but got no number.

I also would like to know if the f15 sunroof is tempered or laminated. Laminated doesnt break into small pieces.

[MattBianco]

US models come standard with the pano roof, so if it is bothersome to buyers here, they have to consider other cars. Not a standard on the Cayenne for instance.

Re: lamination......you can install 3mil 8 mil or even 12 mil safety film. It won't brake into small pieces. The thicker ones can even take some bullets.

Applied like wrap or window tint, but more difficult to cut as it gets thicker. You can even add two 8 mil films back to back but it would require waiting a few days between each layer.

Just Google: glass security film. 3m has a line as well.

[kip1]

Found my answer, not getting one. Hope BMW would have done what Audi did.

[cenix]

I don't see what the problem is. It's better that the glass shatters into those little pieces (what it's supposed to do) than to have it fly out as one piece and decapitate someone or crush an occupant inside the car.

[kip1]

Originally Posted by cenix

I don't see what the problem is. It's better that the glass shatters into those little pieces (what it's supposed to do) than to have it fly out as one piece and decapitate someone or crush an occupant inside the car.

First of all,unless you have the curtains closed you will have pieces everywhere on occupants, causing unnecessary scratches and stuff getting into eyes etc.

Second, if something falls on the car, lets say a big rock or a heavy ice from an overhead bridge, it will fall on the head of the occupants after shattering vs the laminated glass in the Audi, which is probably even safer than thin metal.

Third point. BMW glass roofs have spontaniously imploded and from what I am seeing, they still might.

This is my personal opinnion, people may do as they please, If I were getting the Audi I would take the Pano roof. In the BMW I wont.

[cenix]

Originally Posted by kip1

First of all,unless you have the curtains closed you will have pieces everywhere on occupants, causing unnecessary scratches and stuff getting into eyes etc.

Second, if something falls on the car, lets say a big rock or a heavy ice from an overhead bridge, it will fall on the head of the occupants after shattering vs the laminated glass in the Audi, which is probably even safer than thin metal.

Third point. BMW glass roofs have spontaniously imploded and from what I am seeing, they still might.

This is my personal opinnion, people may do as they please, If I were getting the Audi I would take the Pano roof. In the BMW I wont.

Any accident like the video shows is a pretty big accident. Glass will be everywhere and a few scratches would be the least of your worries.

If something that huge falls through the roof, it is true, you will be safer with a steel roof than the panorama glass roof, but what will you do for your home when a jet airliner comes crashing into it? Being facetious here but you get my drift on this point.

I think laminating it from the inside or outside may be a good option if you're concerned about something like this. It would keep the window slightly more intact if something you mentioned were to happen.

[Kzang]

The safety glass shatters into small pieces as designed. I've been in a few accidents back in my younger days where my windshield, side windows shattered and all collapsed onto my body and never received a scratch. I'm pretty sure all safety precaution has been thoroughly checked before the auto industry allowed pano sunroofs or even just the standard sunroof.


While I do understand your concerns regarding objects dropping into the sunroof and it is possible, but not likely. I think you might have watched too many final destination movies

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by Kzang

The safety glass shatters into small pieces as designed. I've been in a few accidents back in my younger days where my windshield, side windows shattered and all collapsed onto my body and never received a scratch. I'm pretty sure all safety precaution has been thoroughly checked before the auto industry allowed pano sunroofs or even just the standard sunroof.


While I do understand your concerns regarding objects dropping into the sunroof and it is possible, but not likely. I think you might have watched too many final destination movies

^ this.

The biggest risk is glass in The Eye, for which the windshield is the greatest risk.

Again, there is various grades of safety film that prevent shattering.

[artem123]

Look, over all conditions which those cars were crashed are different. If those two cars were crashed exactly the same way we could argue which one is which... Besides, as said above if anyone walks out from crashes like that integrity of the sun roof is the least of anyones concerns. Also, on a side note, with thoughts like this

Originally Posted by kip1

First of all,unless you have the curtains closed you will have pieces everywhere on occupants, causing unnecessary scratches and stuff getting into eyes etc.

Second, if something falls on the car, lets say a big rock or a heavy ice from an overhead bridge, it will fall on the head of the occupants after shattering vs the laminated glass in the Audi, which is probably even safer than thin metal.

Third point. BMW glass roofs have spontaniously imploded and from what I am seeing, they still might.

This is my personal opinnion, people may do as they please, If I were getting the Audi I would take the Pano roof. In the BMW I wont.

it might be safer to just stay home. No offense, please))))

[TOPEC]

in the event of a crash like those in the video, how the glass shatters is the LEAST of ur worries

[kip1]

Originally Posted by Kzang

The safety glass shatters into small pieces as designed. I've been in a few accidents back in my younger days where my windshield, side windows shattered and all collapsed onto my body and never received a scratch. I'm pretty sure all safety precaution has been thoroughly checked before the auto industry allowed pano sunroofs or even just the standard sunroof.


While I do understand your concerns regarding objects dropping into the sunroof and it is possible, but not likely. I think you might have watched too many final destination movies

I also might be in a profession where I treat people who are injured in accidents like I mentioned. Or then I just might be stupid and paranoid. Whatever

Thanks for all the mostly useless hateful comments. Are you people 16 years old? I must say I am surprised about how people react to a perfectly normal and objective question about having glass over my childrens heads. Lets close this topic. Please go on enjoying your panorama roofs, but dont whine about it if it spontaniously shatters etc. Applying 3M lamination was the only useful idea, but tampering with OEM parts voids guarantee often if any problem arises with the roof, like leakage etc. I even read somewhere that applying tinting has caused shattering.

Background info, but I see noone cares anyway. I am done commenting here.

http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=853058
http://abc7news.com/archive/8026317/

I just hope BMW would have followed Audi in making the sunroof strong. I would also have liked rear side airbags, but thats the paranoid me, as accidents dont happen anyway. I now understand this never happens:

[Kzang]

Just because we disagree with your opinion it's not being hateful or acting like 16 year olds. You asked for our input, and we are giving it to you.

Good luck to you.

[kip1]

Sorry, but safer to stay home comments are not helpful....it cant even be called input

[barcelona]

^^ Kip1, thanks for enlightening me and your links like your other posts are helpful.
I will rethink my next purchase. I will enquire if I can Special Order without the m/roof, as rarely used, so the more safety the better.

When I traded in my Lexus suv, dealer said harder to sell without m/roof.

People took the time to provide their thoughts on this interesting topic. Sometimes the responses is not what one expects, often I will learn from only some of the posts based upon my specific needs. For example being in Canada summer heat trapped in m/roof is less of a concern than Tbone impact.

Best, B

[wearenh]

Originally Posted by kip1

why do the brakelights come on after the crash?

is there some auto-braking safety feature?


.

[AnupT]

Just wondering : is the result of the audi different than bmw because the way the pole impact happened? Audi crashes against a round pole and bmw against a square pole... It does change a lot in a crash... Maybe thats why Audi roof popped out? What if it had popped in? In both the the cases i.e. Bmw and audi its inconclusive... I would just go with safety ratings of each car... And drive in such a way that I would never have to test this roof test in real life...

[Staszek]

Originally Posted by AnupT

Just wondering : is the result of the audi different than bmw because the way the pole impact happened? Audi crashes against a round pole and bmw against a square pole... It does change a lot in a crash... Maybe thats why Audi roof popped out? What if it had popped in? In both the the cases i.e. Bmw and audi its inconclusive... I would just go with safety ratings of each car... And drive in such a way that I would never have to test this roof test in real life...

This is what I was thinking. If Audi designed theirs to pop out like that its pretty cool, but was that really the design or did it get lucky the way the pole hit it. It also popped out quite violently, what if it popped in, that would crush someone.

I personally dont know which is safer, I would love to see more tests on it though.

Also OP the pick you posted going through that windshield, I could be wrong but I dont think Audi's sunroof would have just bounced that piece of ice off either (I dont a steel roof wound have without major damage), so I am not sure that is a fair comparison.

[Kessler35is]

I would rather know I have more than one exit from the vehicle in the event I needed it. Laminated glass makes getting through the these openings difficult if not near impossible.

If I was under water and all of the glass in the auto was laminated and you can't get the door open, how do you suggest I get out?

I keep a glass break in my little storage compartment near my knee and pray I never need it but, if I do at least I know I could pop the roof glass and have a large enough opening to get out with out having to push out a laminated piece of glass.

And if you think all of those tiny pieces flying around causes cuts, wait till you are forced to push on shattered laminated glass, you will be sliced open.



Add up the time you spend under a bridge, and of that time, how often is there ice that could fall off, and then how many times you have seen it happen. The odds are going to be near "lottery jackpot" winning odds it will ever happen to you.


Also, if you will go to 1:01 of that video you will see how much flex that glass has in it before it breaks. Furthermore, there was more glass in the interior flying around from the windshield than the broken panorama roof glass, also note only one piece of the roof broke.....


Believe it or not but glass is pretty hard to break, if framed that reduces flex it even makes it harder to break. If you don't believe me go to a junk yard and pay the guy to let you swing a bat at some glass. You will have a bat bounce off of the glass and it will blow your mind. It takes a crack in the glass to start a break, blunt objects have a hard time starting a crack.