Why are peoples' car windows tinted?
What are they afraid we'll see?
shareIt can protect the cars interior and also keep it cooler. And most importantly, it pisses off the cops.
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MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Why are peoples' car windows tinted?
Most commonly for the same reason people wear sunglasses: protects against the glare of the sun, and as Padeen said, also keeps cars cooler.
Although, my new/used car came with tinted windows on the two back windows. Windshield and two front windows aren't tinted, as far as I can tell. I feel like anyone sitting in my rear seats (so far, 1 person total) is being guarded against some unknown invasion of their privacy, while any front seat passenger is out of luck.
Cat, didn’t we beat this horse to death about a year ago with Arvin?
BTW, maybe you can advise me as to what type face mask would suffice to filter fumes. You’ve been living in a state which seems to be on fire constantly. I’m severely allergic to raw onion odors due to all the surgeries I’ve had for epistaxis from HHT. I miss making potato salad, macaroni salad, using them in cooking, etc. I thought about this one, but it may be a bit too much! 😱:-)
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As Padeen said tint protects the interior and may block out some heat
Also, when youre young and have no other place to take your hot date the car is often the only spot for shenanigans...id wager that tinted windows were invented by a horny young guy
Oddballs and thugs tint windows. In the city near my town, the police use the dark tint as an excuse for pulling over cars as it's against the town ordinance. I can't tell you how many drug busts have been made because of tinted windows.
shareI am neither an “oddball” nor a “thug”. I don’t know where you live, but it’s almost a given, people who live in the South (as I do) have tinted windows on their vehicles. By law LE has to be able to see into the vehicle. The back windows can be darker from the front windows, but occupants have to be visible.
IMO I think having two different shades look odd so I opt to keep the back windows the same as the lighter front side windows. The only tint on the windshield is a strip....about the width of the visor. The sun will eventually dry and fade the dashboard. If I forget to put up the reflective shade on my windshield and it’s 95+ degrees outside, I can’t hold my hands on the steering wheel until the AC has cooled off the interior. You no not of what you speak.
Every car I've owned has had the factory privacy glass option; darker than stock with a slight mirror to it. Keeps the car cooler yet is still safe for police to approach.
What I'm referring to is the aftermarket dark tint that makes it impossible to see anyone inside the car. I'm not a cop but know a couple and nothing scares them more than approaching a hooptie with blacked out windows.
Every vehicle owned by me did not come with stock tint. I’ve always had to use aftermarket, but there is no mirror effect. I assumed all states had the same law Florida does....no tint which does not permit visibility of the occupants. Personally I don’t care for (if permitted) the dark, almost the sunglasses type tint. Not only does it detract from look of a new vehicle, it’s dangerous at night...cops can’t see through and it impedes the driver’s visibility.
shareNew York has the same law basically except ours might be a little more stringent. I'm thinking the windshield can't have any tint other than the top few inches but am not sure on that. Occupants have to be visible from all sides of the vehicle. Also, I think insurance companies put higher rates on vehicles with tinted side and rear glass.
shareI’ve never been asked by my auto ins. companies if I have tinted windows on my vehicles. My sedans had tinted side windows and the back window, aftermarket. I’ve been driving a Toyota Tacoma since 2004. That one I had done aftermarket. My 2013 was taken care of by the dealer...so I would refer to that as aftermarket. I was not permitted to put tint on the windshield...same as you.
shareNow here's something interesting for ya... You know how limousines have tinted back windows to protect the identity of the people in the back...
But you know those external lights in between the windows? Those aren't just for show. The light from them will cause your eyes to constrict (the opposite of dilate), which makes your eyes less sensitive to light.
The result of this is that it will be harder to see through the tint. This is especially useful when it's completely dark outside the limo. If not for those lights, your eyes would dilate in the darkness, making it more likely that you'd be able to see who is inside due to the dim interior lights.
This is the same concept with two-way mirrors. It's actually a 50% mirror. The room with the "watchers" has to be dark so they don't show up. If that room was lit, you'd see them mixed with your reflection, 50/50. If you were in the interrogation room and it was completely black, you'd be able to see even faint light on the other side. Thus, the interrogation room needs to be lit far brighter than the rear room with the "watchers."
Personally,I don't like other people to stare
shareStare at what dude?
Wait!! What the hell are you doing in your VW Golf😳
Yeah, unless you're a traffic nose picker you really have nothing to worry about
shareThere 'ya go...exactly what i was thinking
sharei also stare at people with like full meals on their dashboards, but that's more a stare of admiration than of judgement.
shareHonestly, who cant gaze in admiration at a stranger with a full meal on his dash...im talking turkey with gravy, biscuits, stuffing and all the fixings...doesnt happen often around here but you can see it and when you do, oh boy! You just say 'Now there goes a man who knows how to handle his business!'
Then you watch him ride off into the distance, '70s rock blaring from his El Camino, no doubt off to a new town and a new wild adventure and you sigh, a single tear rolls from your eye and you go home to mow the lawn
I know all about it dude
That's exactly what I do whenever I see a car with tinted windows!
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It also protects their eyes from the sun. Plus there's that whole pissing off the cops thing.
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