Why You Should Not Use Excessively Tinted Vehicles


This short article is infact a follow-up to a longer and more detailed article entitled Are Malaysian Drivers Permitted To Use Tinted Windscreens And Windows In Their Vehicle? earlier in this blog.

Malaysian drivers, like all other drivers elsewhere, must surely feel annoyed or angry whenever they are apprehended by Road Transport Department’s or police actions during road traffic operations. They, it is believed, feel their rights have been challenged!

But, have motorists and drivers, especially in our country, ever contemplated for once why such operations take place?

First and foremost, it should be reminded that excessively tinted windows as a matter of fact, affects road safety!

It restricts a driver’s view or vision, especially during poor weather conditions. Drivers are said to be unable to see other road users and pedestrians well and clearly.

On the other hand, other drivers and road users, including pedestrians, cannot confirm through eye contact, that they have been seen by the driver who is driving a heavy and excessively tinted vehicle. This is nothing short of dangerous.

Why is it that in many countries like the United Kingdom and even Malaysia feel necessary to have laws against tinting?

UK has its Road Vehicles (Construction & Use Regulations) 1986 to regulate usage of tinted vehicles. Malaysia has its own Rule 5(1) and Rule 5(3) Motor vehicles (Prohibition of Certain Types of Glasses) Amendment 2000 to control tinting of vehicles.

What are the purpose of the above 2 laws?

It is said that the above mentioned laws are to ensure that a driver’s ability is able to see clearly. A driver’s ability should not in any way be excessively restricted by glass tinting.

Tinted

To avoid being entangled with the laws laid down by the Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) or the Road Transport Department (RTD), a motorist, especially in Malaysia, what should a driver legally do?

As a responsible driver, I would like to advise you that as a driver, you must not drive a vehicle which has front windscreen that are heavily tinted. 75% of light should be allowed to be transmitted into the vehicle’s interiors. For side windows, and the rear windscreen, the law demands a 50% transmission of light into the vehicle.

Are police actions, Road Transport Department fines the only things a Malaysian driver driving an excessively tinted has to face? Unfortunately to say, the answer is NO.

Be it be said that the above are sadly not the only predicaments one has to encounter!

Unless you are well versed with the laws of our country, let it be reiterated here you may also invalidate your car insurance with this modification. The vehicle is most likely to be illegal.

Time and again, readers of this blog, including the Malaysian public, have queried the Authorities (the police and Road Transport Department’s) officials, if legal actions can be taken against franchised agents of vehicles and accessory shop establishments which unfortunately cohort to fix illegal such tinting to customers’ vehicles.

Sadly, the Road Transport Department in our country is of the opinion that they cannot do anything at all about it! It is said, their hands are tied.

Does it take two to tango? In our national language, it is stipulated explicitly, tepuk sebelah tangan tidak berbunyi. Literally translated, the above famous Malay proverb or saying implies, it takes two hands to clap! interesting, isn’t it?

to end this short but interesting and intriguing article, permit me to quote from VOSA (Vehicle Operator Services Agency) of the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Transport Department, which specifically advises all motorists and car tinting establishments there, if you are a tinting company, you must not modify or offer to supply, a part, which when fitted to a vehicle, means that the vehicle does not conform with the Construction & Use Regulations of that country.

In short, if actions can be taken in the United Kingdom, why not here in Malaysia? Why is there this disparity?

After all, our legal system is reported to be following UK’s anyway! I fail to see the logic behind the inability to take actions against those responsible for illegal tinting of vehicles.

By | 2013-04-29T10:09:04+08:00 April 25th, 2013|Driving In Malaysia|0 Comments

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