Vehicles with tinted windows in cloudy Portland (2014, crime)

[ca_north]

I see a good number of cars and trucks with all the windows heavily tinted except the windshield. Who would do this in such a cloudy climate with weak daylight in winter months? I get the impression drivers are trying to hide something inside. Common explanation are that it "looks cool" or gives overall privacy.

In the summer I can buy the excuse that it cuts interior heat but that's not most of the year. At night I think it's dangerous to reduce your outward visibility. A lot of the tint jobs look illegally dark, though some may be from out of state. It just look generally thuggy to me. What do others say?

From http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/docs/v...t_brochure.pdf

Why are dark tinted windows a safety concern?

Dark tinted windows make it very difficult for law enforcement to view the inside of cars during traffic stops.
Unlawful motorists may try to conceal weapons behind the tinted glass, putting police officers at grave risk.

[khyron]

Folks with good vision can see perfectly well out of legally tinted car windows, and blocking UV and IR as well as summer heat has all kinds of advantages. It's worth noting, though, that you can actually cut down on all three using tint that's barely visible to the naked eye (so much so that you can put it on a windshield and not get a ticket) but most folks don't wanna shell out the extra money or deal with the extra difficult application of the really good 3M stuff.

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/6...20Brochure.pdf

[MiaMia411]

Originally Posted by ca_north

I see a good number of cars and trucks with all the windows heavily tinted except the windshield. Who would do this in such a cloudy climate with weak daylight in winter months? I get the impression drivers are trying to hide something inside. Common explanation are that it "looks cool" or gives overall privacy.

In the summer I can buy the excuse that it cuts interior heat but that's not most of the year. At night I think it's dangerous to reduce your outward visibility. A lot of the tint jobs look illegally dark, though some may be from out of state. It just look generally thuggy to me. What do others say?

From http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/docs/v...t_brochure.pdf

Why are dark tinted windows a safety concern?

Dark tinted windows make it very difficult for law enforcement to view the inside of cars during traffic stops.
Unlawful motorists may try to conceal weapons behind the tinted glass, putting police officers at grave risk.

Really? So if someone wears baggy pants are they considered thugs in your eyes? This is 2014 get with it. You should maybe worry about yourself rather then others trying to look cool in your eyes.

I have had tints on ALL my vehicles living in NJ, same weather. I did it more for privacy , keeping UV rays out , bright head lights , and keeping the vehicle cooler in the summers. We have legal tint percentages and most cops dont have issues with it unless you have limo tint , now that was illegal to have in NJ.

Anyone trying to conceal a weapon in a vehicle and commit a crime has nothing to do with tinted windows , they will do it in any car with or without tints. Also that is a risk police sign up for, is dealing with day to day stops that may put your life at risk, just like our soldiers , or just like anything else. Also any state that allows you to carry a weapon in a car must be concealed, so no most people wont drive around with a gun sitting in their lap. Stop living in a world of fear, its not as bad as you think

[bler144]

I'm not a fan, in general, even though I appreciate the various reasons why someone would want to tint their own windows for personal benefit.

Tinting significantly blocks vision (not surprisingly, since it's designed to block light), especially if you're in a vehicle that rides lower. I do most of my driving in a intermediate size car, and if there are SUVs with tinting in front or alongside me, my visibility is greatly reduced in those directions.

If there are parked vehicles with tinting at a corner, it can be much harder to see oncoming traffic; approaching a crosswalk it can be more challenging to see if there are kids moving towards the crosswalk, etc.

[MiaMia411]

Originally Posted by bler144

I'm not a fan, in general, even though I appreciate the various reasons why someone would want to tint their own windows for personal benefit.

Tinting significantly blocks vision (not surprisingly, since it's designed to block light), especially if you're in a vehicle that rides lower. I do most of my driving in a intermediate size car, and if there are SUVs with tinting in front or alongside me, my visibility is greatly reduced in those directions.

If there are parked vehicles with tinting at a corner, it can be much harder to see oncoming traffic; approaching a crosswalk it can be more challenging to see if there are kids moving towards the crosswalk, etc.

I get what you are saying but your claim is laughable , I have never had such a problem that you describe with other vehicles having tints . So then we might as well ban and make 18 wheelers illegal too huh since they block visibility worse then any tinted car .

If the car is causing that much of a visibility issue then more then likely the car is probably parked illegally at the corner since most areas you can't park at a corner such as the claims you make. Has common sense and good judgement been non existent ? You need to learn how to drive and be aware of your surroundings then trying to blame tinted windows being a problem.

[rzzzz]

Contemporary crossovers, SUVs, vans and hatchbacks have the rear windows and rear windshield glass tinted by default.

[eric351982]

I say we keep our noses out of everybody else's business and let them to their windows.

[christiner81]

i have really dark tint on a car we bought in arizona and brought here. I like having the tint, it's harder for people to see stuff inside my car and its nice if you have kids in the backseat. if my mom-mobile looks thuggy to you, then...ok!

if it's truly that big of a safety issue they'd probably ticket people for it regularly.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by MiaMia411

I get what you are saying but your claim is laughable , I have never had such a problem that you describe with other vehicles having tints . So then we might as well ban and make 18 wheelers illegal too huh since they block visibility worse then any tinted car .

If the car is causing that much of a visibility issue then more then likely the car is probably parked illegally at the corner since most areas you can't park at a corner such as the claims you make. Has common sense and good judgement been non existent ? You need to learn how to drive and be aware of your surroundings then trying to blame tinted windows being a problem.

Perhaps I'm more aware of what I'm not able to see than you are? I am aware of my surroundings, and I'm aware that tinting sometimes forces me to make adjustments.

Box vans are more problematic in my mind than 18 wheelers, but sure, they also block visibility. The difference is that trailer and box trucks are necessary for, you know, moving stuff around a modern road system.

Tinting on a personal vehicle, by and large, is largely a vanity item.

Edit - FWIW, I never said it's a horrible crisis that must be remedied by legislation, only that all things considered, I don't prefer it.