Window tint - the blind killer

[RG]

Apparently dark window tint is the new hotness in killing puppies, kittens and cyclists.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vic...-1225885515333

Originally Posted by Herald Sun

HEAVILY tinted cars are being blamed for hiking up the rate of crashes in Melbourne, with shaded cars under the police spotlight from today.

Illegally tinted vehicles will be targeted in an inner-city police roadblock today.

The Melbourne Traffic Management Unit is on the lookout for partly blinded drivers in inner-city Carlton.

Should heavy tints be banned? Vote in our poll and add your comments below

Operation Clear View follows a series of crashes involving heavily tinted cars, police said.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists were among those left hurt by drivers unable to see where they are going, the head of the operation Sen-Constable Steve Hillman said.

“We intend on checking a large number of vehicles for roadworthiness, in particular we will be checking the level of tint,'' he said.

He warned any cars considered unroadworthy risked a defect notice.

“We are serious about enhancing road safety for our vulnerable road users,” he said.

There has been a 44 per cent reduction in serious injury collisions in the CBD compared with the same six-month period last year, police said.

[chrisfpv]

What a joke, seriously!

[sleek7]

mmmmmmm During the day in my opinion there is no problem, but at night is where there could be trouble. I have had midnight express put on my last car (am yet to get my xr tinted) and during the day it was damn fabulous. But at night, I did notice it got a little more difficult to see out the side and rear windows - especially when looking via the rear or side mirrors. During a dark night, trying to back my car into the driveway became quite difficult because i simply couldn't see. Did the same thing in my old mans camry not long after (he has no tint) and thats where it became really obvious at how much the tint was limiting what i could see.
Personally I wouldnt go any darker than midnight express because at night it really does limit what you can see.

[RedHotGT]

If they were cracking down on unroadworthy cars and this is a particular area that they are 'canary-ing' cars for... fair enough...

but actually targeting dark tint.... 35% or darker... is an interesting strategy...

wonder if they will ban iPods in the CBD also - the amount of times i've nearly run someone down because they've stepped out in front of me with those damn earphones plugged in....

spose they've gotta look like they're doing something... with such an increase in the road-toll... obviously something has to change...

[sleek7]

Originally Posted by loftie

spose they've gotta look like they're doing something... with such an increase in the road-toll... obviously something has to change...

WE NEED MORE SPEE...erm SAFETY CAMERAS!

[Falcon Coupe]

Illegally tinted vehicles will be targeted in an inner-city police roadblock today.

Illegally tinted being the point here, those of us with "darkest legal" should not have a problem.

[RG]

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

Illegally tinted being the point here, those of us with "darkest legal" should not have a problem.

The problem is how is a Police officer going to know what is darkest legal, it's all in what they perceive to be too dark.

[sarrge2001]

Originally Posted by RG

The problem is how is a Police officer going to know what is darkest legal, it's all in what they perceive to be too dark.

They have a test unit, which goes on either side of the window (about the size of a pack of smokes either side). One side transmits a known light level and the other measures the received light level.

The tester then compares the reading to the minimum light transmission allowable under the legislation.......

[DJL351]

Originally Posted by RG

The problem is how is a Police officer going to know what is darkest legal, it's all in what they perceive to be too dark.

In WA, the peeps in blue have a hand held tester.
They lower the windows 1/3 of the way down and place the glass/tint inside the tester.

It gives them a percentage of light passing through, from there, they can Yellow the car.

(trick is - over here there is only a few of the sensors/testers)

[pauljh74]

Their poll question is stupid "Should heavy car tinting be banned?" It already is! The point of the police operation is to nab drivers who have illegal tint. It works well in summer - car looks better, but in winter with the windows fogged up on a winter's night it becomes a problem.

[flappist]

Should wearing sunglasses be banned?

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by flappist

Should wearing sunglasses be banned?

Yep, so i dont trip over the poorly maintained footpaths with my illeaglly tinted sunnys

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by flappist

Should wearing sunglasses be banned?

Would you wear sunnies at night?

Therein lies the problem, sunnies work during the day and by night can be removed.
Tint works well during the day, but cant be removed at night.

With sunnies for glare reduction in mind, insulation is the only merit to using tint.
Imagine trying to argue the insulation theory if your car is black...

[johnno3]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Would you wear sunnies at night?

Therein lies the problem, sunnies work during the day and by night can be removed.
Tint works well during the day, but cant be removed at night.

With sunnies for glare reduction in mind, insulation is the only merit to using tint.
Imagine trying to argue the insulation theory if your car is black...

Agreed!! However there is no evidence that shows window tint has any insulation properties as far as internal cabin temperature is concerned (it makes zero difference ). Nor is there any evidence that it blocks harmful UV rays (no more than standard automotive glass). Add the fact that people can wear sunnies for glare makes window tint pure pose value only.

While some people seem to be giving the Police a hard time over this, what responsibility does the tint industry play in all this? If the tint companies didn't stock & sell & fit illegal tint, then this wouldn't be an issue

[BENT_8]

Good point, my car currently carries darker than legal tint.
When i booked the car in the tinter told me the one i chose was illegal and therefore wasnt warranted against defect notices, but was happy to apply it knowing it is illegal.
That doesnt release me from my responsibilities, but if the darker tint isnt on offer i cant ask for it.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Good point, my car currently carries darker than legal tint.
When i booked the car in the tinter told me the one i chose was illegal and therefore wasnt warranted against defect notices, but was happy to apply it knowing it is illegal.
That doesnt release me from my responsibilities, but if the darker tint isnt on offer i cant ask for it.

You are allowed to have darker tint on the rear and back windows .... its only front driver and passenger side that is more restricted .... its not illegal for the installer to put black tint on your window but is your responsibility if you have it applied. If it was stipulated you wanted legal tint and it is found to be not .... then you have some course of action with the supplier.

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Would you wear sunnies at night?

Therein lies the problem, sunnies work during the day and by night can be removed.
Tint works well during the day, but cant be removed at night.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by johnno3

Agreed!! However there is no evidence that shows window tint has any insulation properties as far as internal cabin temperature is concerned (it makes zero difference ). Nor is there any evidence that it blocks harmful UV rays (no more than standard automotive glass). Add the fact that people can wear sunnies for glare makes window tint pure pose value only.

While some people seem to be giving the Police a hard time over this, what responsibility does the tint industry play in all this? If the tint companies didn't stock & sell & fit illegal tint, then this wouldn't be an issue

Really?

I had tint added to my office windows and the inside temp dropped significantly.
I used to have 3 1982 lasers in my fleet that were all identical except one had tint. Guess which one was always cooler?

That is good enough evidence for me.

But just to be thorough I googled it and strangly the only place in the world where tinting does not work is.....wait for it....VICTORIA. You know Victoria, that place that actually has a negative number of road deaths every year due to the stategic placement of speed cameras every 10 feet but then ironicly budgets for everyone to speed at least twice a year to balance their spending sprees. Maybe there is not enough income from speed cameras so they need a new profit centre.

RACV are against it despite their sister groups in other states supporting it as are other Victorian "road safety experts".

We are constantly pressured to reduce energy use and tinting WILL reduce the load on the aircon and therefore use less fuel.

Last year RACQ commissioned some testing, obviously they are not in Victoria either.

http://www.racq.com.au/__data/assets...re_in_Cars.pdf

[mik]

on the other hand how many accidents occur from glare and loss of vision, probably not much in winter but in summer, surely it must be a 2 way street?

[superroo]

If they are doing it right, there is a card that has writing printed on it. Put it behind 35% tint and you can see the writing, any darker and you can't read it.

The guy who did my tint showed me it. Pretty easy/quick way to check.

Cheers

[RG]

Originally Posted by superroo

If they are doing it right, there is a card that has writing printed on it. Put it behind 35% tint and you can see the writing, any darker and you can't read it.

The guy who did my tint showed me it. Pretty easy/quick way to check.

Cheers

I didn't know that. Pretty awesome way of doing things.

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by superroo

If they are doing it right, there is a card that has writing printed on it. Put it behind 35% tint and you can see the writing, any darker and you can't read it.

The guy who did my tint showed me it. Pretty easy/quick way to check.

Cheers

I've also seen this method - its very basic and it works...

[wulos]

Originally Posted by superroo

If they are doing it right, there is a card that has writing printed on it. Put it behind 35% tint and you can see the writing, any darker and you can't read it.

The guy who did my tint showed me it. Pretty easy/quick way to check.

Cheers

Whilst this may sound like a good test, the theory is somewhat flawed. Tinting 'should' effect all tones equally (ie makes lights, AND darks darker) and shouldn't have any effect of contrast(which is how people differentiate letters / shapes)
The use of a card, fails to take lighting level/quality, or the readers eyesight into account & is about as definitive as the ' road users handbook' that states that in the dark you should be able to see 50m up the road with the cars headlights on lowbeam..

Unfortunately - like so many other initiatives sold under the guise of 'road safety' I don't really see this one as being effective, or truely aimed at reducing the road toll.

[prydey]

tint is measured with a light meter. you can't tell just by looking at it. some tints 'look' dark but still allow the correct amount of light through.

is it illegal to obstruct my view out of the side windows? genuine question.

what about window socks? obviously no one has them on front windows but i fail to see how tinting has a limit and yet sunglasses don't and you can cover your window in material.

obviously the night time argument still stands but to me its not as big a deal as some like to claim. my last car had 20% tint and although it was darker at night, i wouldn't go as far as saying it impeded my vision. my current wagon has 30% and that is fine as well.

all it is, is the govt's are continually looking at ways to increase revenue.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by prydey

tint is measured with a light meter. you can't tell just by looking at it. some tints 'look' dark but still allow the correct amount of light through.

is it illegal to obstruct my view out of the side windows? genuine question.

what about window socks? obviously no one has them on front windows but i fail to see how tinting has a limit and yet sunglasses don't and you can cover your window in material.

obviously the night time argument still stands but to me its not as big a deal as some like to claim. my last car had 20% tint and although it was darker at night, i wouldn't go as far as saying it impeded my vision. my current wagon has 30% and that is fine as well.

all it is, is the govt's are continually looking at ways to increase revenue.

Window sock's can be used just like tint on the rear window's can be darker(privacy tint), like has been mentioned it really only cover's the two front window's when tint is concerned to be legal or illegal.
Window sock's are genrally only used for shade anyway with a baby as such, and if this is the case, well you can not put a baby capusule in the front as it is illegal, so I don't see how a window sock would need to be used on the front window.

[irlewy86]

Operation Clear View?

Does VicPol have a room full of trained monkey's with typewriters where they think these operation names up?

[RedHotGT]

Almost as good as the Media outlets regarding the AFL suspension of Steven Baker for 12 weeks...

headline = Baker's Dozen...

Hahah ahahaha ahahha
Oh dear me...

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by loftie

Almost as good as the Media outlets regarding the AFL suspension of Steven Baker for 12 weeks...

headline = Baker's Dozen...

Hahah ahahaha ahahha
Oh dear me...

I wonder if the knucklehead journalist, Jon Ralph, realises that a baker’s dozen is 13?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/af...-1225884874765

[dave289]

Had a mate illegally tint his side windows in his black falcon last week, if that was'nt bad enough he also had his windscreen tinted. It was in the afternoon when I saw the car and you could not see into the car from looking through the front windscreen, I asked him wtf he was doing an he just shrugged his shoulders. Told him he will be lucky to last 2 weeks before being defected, he has already survived 1 week, my other mate gave him one month.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by dave289

Had a mate illegally tint his side windows in his black falcon last week, if that was'nt bad enough he also had his windscreen tinted. It was in the afternoon when I saw the car and you could not see into the car from looking through the front windscreen, I asked him wtf he was doing an he just shrugged his shoulders. Told him he will be lucky to last 2 weeks before being defected, he has already survived 1 week, my other mate gave him one month.

He is living on borrowed time, what a rocket scientist? Hope he does not cause a serious injury or death in his stupidity.

[galaxy xr8]

I don't have a problem with this at all, like has been mentioned they are targeting "illegal" tint, and ussually the one's with this "illegal" tint are so called "hoon's" anyway that give us driver's a bad name,
At night it is dangerous, I would gladly like to see them of the road, I mean let's face it, I would love to put a bet on how many of these vehicle's that actually get defected would be "ricer's" or people with an allready bad driving history.