Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
People are just discovering what the black dots on car windscreens are actually for

Home> Community

Published 11:17 10 Nov 2024 GMT

People are just discovering what the black dots on car windscreens are actually for

The funky car feature has quite an important purpose

Olivia Burke

Olivia Burke

Despite staring at them for hours on end while out on the open road, a lot of drivers don't have a clue what those black dots on their car windscreen are actually for.

However, it turns out that this distinctive design choice is a lot more important than you might think, as it's not just a pretty pattern which jazzes up the glass screen on the front of your whip.

These days, the majority of cars are kitted out with all sorts of fancy technology to make life easier for motorists.

There's the 'off' button which you need to stay far away from, swanky air filtering systems, and that weird circle that sits on your dashboard - but before all of these came along, there was the humble 'frit'.

Advert

This term describes the black dots or lines which border a car windscreen that are also sometimes known as 'dot matrices'.

Although they do add to the aesthetic and make the transition to the rest of the glass a bit subtler, these spots have a much more important purpose than simply adding to a vehicle's appearance.

So, let's have a look at some fun facts about frits.

The black dots which line your windscreen have an important job to do (Getty Stock Image)
The black dots which line your windscreen have an important job to do (Getty Stock Image)

A frit helps to distribute temperature evenly across the glass screen.

Advert

As a result of this, the chance of optical distortions and lensing is drastically reduced for drivers.

That's because when there is too much heat in one part of the glass, it will impact your vision of the road as straight lines can appear curved or bowed inwards.

Therefore, frits make it a smoother and safer journey.

Experts at Autoglaze explained that this vision-bending phenomenon occurs when 'the frit band (the solid black one) heats up much faster than the windscreen's glass'.

It creates an optical distortion 'that makes either straight lines look curved or bowed inwards toward the centre'.

Advert

The 'gradually sinking' black dots dissipate the heat and spread it out evenly, lessening the potential of a warped view of the roads for motorists.

The handy dots also help to 'preserve the urethane sealant used to bond the glass to the frame', which keeps your windscreen firmly in place.

The majority of motorists have no idea what the dots are for (Getty Stock Image)
The majority of motorists have no idea what the dots are for (Getty Stock Image)

As well as this, they serve as a 'contact point between the glass and car frame'.

Autoglaze explained: "They create etches on the surface, making them rougher so the adhesive can stick better to the glass.

Advert

"Frits are also there for aesthetic purposes. If you look closely, the contrast between the dark band and the transparent glass can look too obvious even when viewed from afar.

"Creating a halftone pattern or dot-matrix allows a gradual decrease in size, making the transition much more subtle and easier on the eyes."

This was news to a lot of social media users, who took to Reddit to share their amazement after finding out more about frits.

One said: "That is brilliant and simple. So simple that it isn’t believable but so believable that it can’t be that simple!"

Another said: "I am stunned at the amount that I have learned about frit today."

Advert

A third added: "Huh.. I always thought they had some type of functionality like defrosting the windows."

And a fourth chimed in: "To adhere and protect. Sounds like a good life purpose!"

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images/Reddit

Topics: Reddit, Cars, Weird

Olivia Burke
Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

X

@livburke_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

19 hours ago
a day ago
  • 19 hours ago

    Therapist says one question will ‘test your relationship’ but it is ‘making people cry’

    Professional counsellor Jeff Guenther has revealed what questions you should ask if you want to 'test your relationship'

    Community
  • a day ago

    Car expert explains what 'new car smell' actually is and why you can't recreate it

    There's a harrowing explanation behind the satisfying scent

    Community
  • a day ago

    Creepy hotel footage shows man with ‘no past erasing all traces of himself from history’

    The mystery surrounding Peter Bergmann's unusual death still hasn't been solved

    Community
  • a day ago

    New study changes what we know about Easter Island's famous heads, ending 'strange argument'

    Easter Island may not have been as isolated as we thought

    Community
  • Drivers are only just realising they've been pronouncing Mercedes wrong their entire life
  • People stunned to discover what the black dots on car windscreens are for
  • Drivers only just realising what tiny symbol on car is actually for
  • People are only just discovering what the M&M initials actually stand for