Calls for laminated glass on car side windows

Carmaker Citroen said that windows were the weakest security point on vehicles, accounting for 1 in 2 car crimes at a cost of £1.4 billion in the UK each year. It claimed that high security laminated glass could dramatically reduce these figures.

Laminated glass was first used on front windscreens to improve safety in the event of an accident and is now a legal requirement on new cars. However, until recently laminated glass in side windows was exclusively limited to the luxury end of the car market.

Recently Citroen became the first volume manufacturer to introduce laminated side windows as standard in the small family hatchback sector, on versions of its C4.

A spokesman for Citroen said: "Aside from the obvious anti-crime benefits of laminating the side glass, it also makes it less likely that drivers will be thrown from their vehicles during an accident as well as reducing noise inside the car - by around four decibels.

"Motorists also feel more secure when inside the vehicle, especially given the eightfold increase in traffic light car muggings reported over the past three years."