Window tinting for automobiles, trucks, and recreational vehicles
all have visible light transmission laws that vary from state to state.
Visible light transmission means the amount of light passing through
any piece of glass to the interior of the vehicle. For example a clear
piece of glass would have a 100% visible light transmission.
All
of the window film manufacturers of today offer their products in
different visible light transmissions or VLT's which they can be
referred to as well. I will use SolarGard HP Smoke for an example. This
particular window film comes in VLT's of fifty percent, thirty five
percent, twenty percent, and five percent. They do not offer any
different light transmissions in between the ones provided. It is
important to note that these VLT's are all based on 100% clear glass. So
for example a 35% visible light transmission installed on a factory
supplied automotive glass with a 75% visible light transmission would
give it approximately a 26% visible light transmission. So it is
important to know the VLT of the glass before the installation of any
window tinting. This can easily be checked with a meter which slides
over the edge of the glass and reads the visible light transmission. Any
reputable window tinting business will have one of these meters, and I
am sure will check your glass for no cost. If one is not available in
your area, and you have trouble attaining a meter they are available for
purchase with a starting retail of eighty nine dollars.
The
benefit of having window film that is too dark is very little. Staying
along with our previous example of the SolarGard HP Smoke. The heat
difference between the 50% light transmission, and the darkest available
the 5% light transmission is a mere 10%. So to capture that example the
window film is 45% darker, but only achieving an additional 10% in heat
rejection! So darker does not necessarily mean cooler. It simply means
more light is being taken out.
Most all glass installed in
vehicles today have some sort of tinting to them. It varies from the
automobile manufacturer, and the model of the vehicle. Generally they
range from 75% on the front two windows, and as dark as 15% on the rear
doors and back glass. The windshield is only allowed to have tinting on
the top down to the AS1 line marked in the glass or six inches if the
line is not marked.
There are different laws also regarding the
location of the window tinting. They are separated into the front driver
and passenger, the rear driver and passenger, the rear glass, and the
windshield. All of these locations will have different laws and vary
from state to state. To check the law for your state you can see a
window tinting chart provided by the International Window Film
Association provided at http://www.IWFA.com
The
importance of having legal window tinting is critical. The reason being
if you were ever involved in an automobile accident, and found to have
illegal window tinting you could be held liable for the accident. The
insurance company would claim you were negligent, and that you had an
improper and illegal vehicle unsafe for the roadways. They would then
deny the claim, and you would be held personally responsible for the
accident costing you thousands of dollars in medical and attorney fees.
The risk far outweighs the reward in this case. Especially for the very
small benefit of the additional heat rejection. Some states do have
medical exemptions that do allow for the darker shades be applied. Again
check your state law, and be safe.
By
Brian Schauder
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