Why is tempered glass considered safer than ordinary glass?

Tempered glass is considered safer than ordinary glass primarily because when it does break, it shatters into small, blunt pieces rather than sharp shards. This characteristic reduces the risk of injury, making it a preferred choice in environments where safety is a priority, such as in vehicles, shower doors, and facades of buildings. The small particles that result from its breakage are less likely to cause serious cuts, which is a significant advantage over ordinary glass that can break into jagged, dangerous shards.

The other options suggest features that are either not true or do not pertain to tempered glass. For example, tempered glass does not by any means guarantee that it won't break, and while it can provide some resistance to impact and thermal stress, it is not fireproof. Additionally, while wire meshing can help prevent glass from shattering, this is not a characteristic of tempered glass; that feature refers instead to a specific type of safety glass combined with a mesh.