In Mexico City, companies that offer armour plating of automobiles are adapting to customers' budgets and to the nature of crime in the capital by focusing on the windows. Statistically, bullets fired at a driver almost always high some of the vehicle windows, putting the life of the driver at risk. The figures show that 85-95% of shots fired from a short distance break one of the front or rear windows, while in 95% of cases, the bullet hits the side windows and the seat back of the driver. Rising crime in Mexico City has allowed vehicle reinforces to offer partial protection in these parts of the vehicle, cutting the cost of protection by up to half. F Rios, president of Secur Glass de Mexico, said that type three armour (which can stop a 44 Magnum calibre bullet) currently costs around $30,000, while glass protective coating could be obtained for $15,000. Rios said that it was quite common for criminals to shoot at a fleeing motorist through the rear window, often hitting the seat back of the driver with fatal consequences. He calculated that more than 15,000 armoured vehicles were in circulation in the city and said demand was even higher than in countries such as Brazil and Columbia, where lack of security is part of daily life. Figures show that in the last 10 months of 2005, 75 vehicles/day were subject to robberies and 4 out of 10 of these involved violence.
