• 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
What the black dots on your windscreen actually do as people are only just working it out

Home> Community> Weird

Published 19:53 12 May 2025 GMT+1

What the black dots on your windscreen actually do as people are only just working it out

It's blown some people's minds

James Moorhouse

James Moorhouse

While the internet can be a dark and horrible place at times, often you will come across a shining light in the form of a funny video or an informative article such as this one, which makes everything alright again.

A recent trend on the internet, which is perhaps unsurprising given some had 'no idea' what happened when your clothes get dry cleaned or how to write with a pen these days, is where we're finding out facts about things we see almost every day.

For example, we probably all spend time in a lift at least once a week, especially if we work in an office, yet many of us have no idea of the very clever reasons why there's nearly always a mirror in there.

There's also plenty of science to explain why we wake up just before an alarm or why we experience Déjà vu, but something that is almost universal is owning or at least regularly travelling in a car.

I'm sure there's plenty of buttons on your dashboard you might not be familiar with but what about the black dots, which can be seen on the top right?

Advert

Well, Autoglaze has explained the pretty important reason why nearly every car these days has the black dots, which are officially known as 'frits'.

These dots actually have a purpose (Lucy Lambriex/Getty stock images)
These dots actually have a purpose (Lucy Lambriex/Getty stock images)

A frit helps to distribute temperature evenly across the glass screen, which helps to drastically reduce the chances of optical illusions and lensing for drivers, which is obviously pretty good.

The last thing you want when you're on the motorway is to be distracted by a candle stick. Or is it two faces?

If 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. Again, not ideal.

Advert

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

"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.

They can help us drive safely by making sure we aren't seeing things (Getty stock images)
They can help us drive safely by making sure we aren't seeing things (Getty stock images)

"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.

Advert

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."

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

Topics: Cars

James Moorhouse
James Moorhouse

James is a NCTJ Gold Standard journalist covering a wide range of topics and news stories for LADbible. After two years in football writing, James switched to covering news with Newsquest in Cumbria, before joining the LAD team in 2025. In his spare time, James is a long-suffering Rochdale fan and loves reading, running and music. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@JimmyMoorhouse

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
9 hours ago
2 days ago
3 days ago
  • Getty stock
    2 hours ago

    Private investigator reveals everyday phone app thats helps people get away with cheating

    Paul Evans said cheaters use this one app that can be hidden in plain sight

    Community
  • Twisted
    9 hours ago

    Man who bought 240 Land Rover Defenders in 2015 shares insane amount he made from them

    Charles Fawcett gambled on the discontinued Land Rover Defenders

    Community
  • SWNS
    2 days ago

    Mum who had baby using 'free sperm from Facebook' explains why she'd never do it again

    Laura certainly didn't go down the conventional route

    Community
  • Kennedy News and Media
    3 days ago

    Woman shocked after 'ghost cat' she feeds disappears 'into thin air' in terrifying camera footage

    Maybe the cat was on its 10th life...

    Community
  • What damage 50-year-old spacecraft could do when it hits Earth at 17,000mph in just weeks
  • What happens if you take just one injection of Ozempic as simulation shows what drug can do to your body
  • People are just working out what Foo Fighters band name really means
  • People are only just discovering what the M&M initials actually stand for