MIROS live windscreen crash test recognised by Malaysia Book of Records as first-ever in Malaysia
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) conducted Malaysia’s first exclusive live windscreen crash test at its PC3 Laboratory in Melaka. The event was staged by Swiss-based specialty chemicals company Sika. Also present was The Malaysia Book of Records which recognised the test as the First Automotive Windscreen Crash Test Evaluation 2026 in Malaysia.
Organisers aimed to show that a windscreen bonds structurally to the vehicle body to strengthen the cabin and protect occupants in a crash. They also sought to demonstrate that the wrong adhesive or poor workmanship can compromise that protection.
For the demonstration, organisers crashed a passenger car at MIROS PC3 in Ayer Molek. The national full-scale crash test laboratory in Melaka also supports ASEAN New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) testing. The vehicle struck a frontal barrier at 48 km/h. This replicated a real-world collision to show how a correctly bonded windscreen holds in place and keeps the airbag and cabin working as designed. The windscreen supports the airbag as it inflates. It helps keep occupants inside the vehicle. It also reinforces the roof in a rollover.
The demonstration comes amid rising road safety concerns. Malaysia recorded 6,537 road fatalities in 2025. Total road accidents reached a record 790,614 cases. Both figures were higher than the year before. Under the Malaysia Road Safety Plan 2022-2030, the country has committed to halving road deaths by 2030. These numbers show the target is slipping further out of reach. Amid these figures, the safety role of the windscreen is rarely discussed.
“A windscreen is a safety component, yet workshops often replace it on price and speed alone,” said Daphne Wong, Head of Automotive & Industry, Sika Malaysia. “What matters just as much is the adhesive used and the standard of the installation, because those are what keep the glass in place when it is needed most.” “We chose to show this in a live crash rather than explain it on paper, so there is no doubt about how much the quality of a replacement matters,” Wong added.
Poor installation carries real risk. A windscreen fitted with the wrong adhesive or before the bond has cured can detach in a collision. Malaysia’s hot, humid climate shortens an adhesive’s working time. This makes skilled fitting matter even more. Sika runs a Certified Auto Glass Installer Program in Malaysia. It trains local workshops to fit windscreens to its standards.”
In Malaysia, workshops install Sika windscreen adhesive on more than 400,000 cars every year. The live crash test used SikaTack Drive. Engineers tested it with 95th percentile crash test dummies against the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 212. This international benchmark measures whether a bonded windscreen stays in place during a crash rather than being pushed out. That allows it to support the airbag and the roof.
Sika has bonded windscreens for the automotive industry since 1980. It helped establish the industry’s safe drive-away time standards. Over the past four decades it has conducted more than 80 crash tests to verify passenger safety after windscreen replacement.
Alongside the crash test, Sika is running the Sika Certified Auto Glass Installer Campaign. It encourages car owners to choose a certified workshop for a safe windscreen replacement. Sika’s certified installers work exclusively with Sika windscreen adhesives. They follow a continuous training and certification programme.
From 15 September to 31 December 2026, customers who have their windscreen replaced at a certified workshop can enter a monthly lucky draw. They submit a photo of the workshop’s Sika Certified Auto Glass Installer signboard together with their receipt to Sika Malaysia. Sika draws three winners each month. Each winner receives a petrol card worth RM100. More information at mys.sika.com/en/safe-auto-glass-replacement.