Window film and tinting companies have been promoting safety window film products for years warning store owners to reinforce their windows to reduce forced entry, as well as holding glass together in the event of rioting, petrol bombs, etc. However, as Leon Levy, CEO of Klingshield Window Film Company based in Johannesburg says, it's the old story of “too late she cried” after what happened recently in London and everybody will now want to have the product installed. The industry will boom and will not be able to cope with the demand because consumers have seen how easy it is to break through a store window. The same as another old saying goes “after the horse has left the stable”.
In his national address, the Prime Minister of Britain explained how thugs destroyed property by smashing store windows, car and bus windows and hurling petrol bombs into the interiors setting them alight.
Criminals on the rampage attacked police and street battles continued for the fourth night in different parts of London and also spread to other areas. Hundreds of store front windows were also smashed, and youths looted these stores, stealing huge amounts of goods, including some famous brand names.
Reports in the press suggest that social networks were used by people to encourage unemployed people to get onto the streets and create havoc turning London into a free for all uncontrollable city.
Pictures flashed throughout the world showing these horrific scenes and headlines showed London on fire. Hundreds of rioters have been arrested and numerous police have been injured.
The Prime Minister promised to do all that is necessary to stop these sickening actions with as much force as is required to put an end to these horrific scenes.
The same thing applies to securing car and bus windows. Vehicles were destroyed by the same method. Windows were stoned and smashed and vehicles set alight with the use of petrol bombs . Klingshield, the world leaders in safety window film protection have been installing thick safety film on car windows in South Africa for decades and today most new cars are sent by auto dealers to Klingshield fitment centre to install this protective window film before delivering new cars.
Consumers in other countries should take note of this practise because an explosion or rioting can take place at any given moment and glass is a killer in these scenarios, and also causing damage to property.
Safety window laminate window film comes in clear or tinted and is installed on the inside of windows, turning glass into a barrier thus making it more difficult to penetrate. If one is driving through a rioting situation and your car is attacked, the window film will hold the glass in place for longer giving you time to get away and save you and your family from injury or death .The same thing happens in smash and grab attacks. The film will hold the glass in place and will reduce the effect of flying glass from cutting and injuring you.
More and more consumers in all countries around the world should consider having window film applied to their car windows because it also offers other benefits. Multiple functional safety film also reduces the temperature inside the car on a hot sunny day. Blinding glare is also reduced when a tinted safety film is applied. All safety film stops 99% of the ultra violet, saving the interior of your car from sun damage and fading.
Klingshield have been testing windows with clear smash and grab and anti-riot window film for the past 40 years. Various tests have been done on window film laminates for homes, cars and busses.These demonstrations and tests show the value and protection Kingshield ultra-thick safety film offers to the consumer.