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Silicone hardcoating and plastic headlamp lenses were first developed in the late 1970's due to the growing trend, in automobile design, towards weight reduction as well as a desire for design flexibility. A few creative people presented the auto industry with a plastic substitute that replaced glass and offered new design possibilities. Ford Motor company presented data to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration indicating that the chance of total failure for a plastic headlamp component was less than for a glass sealed beam headlamp. General Electric's LEXAN polycarbonate with it's excellent impact and high temperature resistance, good optics, flame retardant and light weight was selected as a perfect candidate for glass replacement in headlamps.