DRIVERS with a common aftermarket feature are being targeted by officers – first-time offenders can be fined $250.
Officers argue the addition makes traffic stops more dangerous.
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Cranston, Rhode Island announced a focused effort to stop and warn drivers about overly tinted windows within the city’s limits.
Police Major Todd Patalano said the effort was prompted by an uptick in cars with light transmittance of more than 70 percent.
If more than 70 percent of light is blocked, police can’t see into the interior during a traffic stop.
“Tinted windows are a big problem for policing, especially for the patrol division which is out monitoring violations on the roadway every day,” he told ABC affiliate WLNE-TV.
A traffic stop is regarded as one of the most dangerous lines of police work.
Without being able to see into a car before approaching it, an officer may not see a weapon or what the driver is doing.
“It also enhances the dangers, obviously when you approach a car and you see someone where you can’t see their hands when you can’t see what they’re doing,” explained Patalano.
It also poses a higher risk to pedestrians or other drivers who are victims of crimes, as a driver is more difficult to identify.
Paul Stascavage owns Volare Motors, and he agreed that more drivers are blatantly surpassing the tint limit.
“I am seeing we got too crazy with it,” he said.
“It’s way too dark the tinted windows. I mean it’s so dark, it’s like limo tint. You see windshields that are tinted. I get a lot of cars in with tinted windows that I have to pull off.”
He thinks a crackdown on illegal tinting jobs is long overdue.
Especially after seeing officers react cautiously to overly tinted windows.
“I see police officers in Cranston are doing their job. They are pulling over a suspect, I see it here all the time with the tinted windows,” he said.
“You can see they are going to the car with caution. It’s daytime and you can’t even see in the car, everything is done.”
Tinted windows are a big problem for policing, especially for the patrol division which is out monitoring violations on the roadway every day.
Police Major Todd Patalano
Many city officials understand that some people need to have windows tinted at more than 70 percent.
Some people, such as those suffering from skin cancer or sun sensitivity, have a medical explanation.
“Some people can apply for an exemption,” Patalano said.
“For instance, a physician’s note can say from their optometrist that they have an eye problem or whatever other cases they may have.”
Those in violation without a good cause, however, are subject to a $250 ticket.
Other vehicles, like those from other states, may have been sold with the tint darker than the city’s limits.
“The problem we also run into is a lot of the vehicles are from out of state, like Florida and other states that we cannot enforce that when they have out-of-state plates,” he said.
Proper conduct during a traffic stop
According to the ACLU, there are a few tips for ensuring a smooth traffic stop, no matter the violation.
- Stop the vehicle in a safe place away from traffic as soon as possible.
- Kill the engine, roll down the windows, and place your hands on the driving wheel. If it’s dark outside, turn on the interior lights to give the officer a good visual. If you’re in the passenger’s seat, keep your hands visible.
- Only reach for your purse or wallet, registration, and proof of insurance when instructed to by the officers. Do not reach for the glove box until prompted by the officer.
- Do not make sudden movements. Narrate everything you’re doing, ie, “I’m reaching for my purse in the backseat.”
- Keep your tone calm and respectful.
Source: ACLU
Those drivers, if stopped, would be ordered to appear in court and explain their case.
Philadelphia recently passed a law that allows officers to cite parked cars with overly tinted windows to increase road safety.
Many are in support of the new law, though some people feel it will have a direct effect on small business owners who perform tints for customers.
“It’s going to open up the floodgates for everything aftermarket on cars,” David Rutheford, the owner of Elite Glass Tinting, told Window Film Magazine in May after the law was passed.
“Two or three people called the day it got announced and decided to hold off until they figured out it was going to work.”
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