In recent times, there has been an ongoing debate in Nigeria about placing a blanket ban on the use of cars with tinted glasses, prompting Jide Owatunmise, a road safety expert and advocate to forward his opinion on the issue to Daily Independent in this article. Excerpts:
While the intent of placing a ban on tinted vehicles is hinged on the improvement of national security, which is adjudged laudable but implementing it without due consideration for global practices, technological advancements, and users’ rights may create unintended consequences.
It would be recalled that 4 years ago when the Nigeria Police announced a clampdown on vehicles with tinted glasses, without permit, I wrote an article to oppose the blanket ban, listing the reasons.
Some Lawyers also added their voices and there was a step-down of the planned enforcement.
Consequent upon the recent outbursts from the Nigeria Police, I decided to write this article to examine the concept of tinted glass, the thicknesses, purposes, and why a balanced approach, rather than a blanket ban, is necessary.
What Is Tinted Glass?
Tinted glass refers to car windows that are treated or manufactured to reduce the amount of sunlight, heat, and glare entering the vehicle.
This can be achieved through factory manufacturing processes or aftermarket applications of a thin, colored film on the glass.
Degrees of Tinting and Measurement:
Tinted glasses come in various degrees of opacity, measured as Visible Light Transmission (VLT).
VLT is the percentage of visible light that can pass through the glass. For example:
100% VLT: Fully transparent (clear glass).
50% VLT: Allows half the light to pass through, creating a moderate tint.
20% VLT: Darker tint, allowing only 20% of light to pass through.
5% VLT: Known as “limo tint,” this allows only 5% of light and is nearly opaque.
The deepness of tint can be measured using devices such as Tint Meters, which assess the level of light penetration.
Global Practices in Regulating Tinted Glass:
In many countries, laws regulate the use of tinted glasses for security and visibility purposes, but these regulations are tailored to meet specific needs:
United States: Each State has its own permissible VLT levels. For instance, Florida allows 28% VLT for front windows and 15% VLT for rear windows.
Police Officers use Tint Meters during traffic stops to ensure compliance.
United Kingdom: The law mandates at least 70% VLT for front windows and 75% for the windscreen. Factory-fitted tints are permitted if they comply with these standards.
South Africa: Tinted windows must allow at least 35% VLT. Authorities conduct routine checks, but factory-fitted tints are generally exempted from restrictions.
India: Post-2012, aftermarket tint films are banned, but factory-fitted tinted glasses remain legal if they meet the 70% front and 50% rear VLT thresholds.
In these Countries, Police do not indiscriminately ban tinted glasses; instead, they use clear regulations and technology to enforce compliance.
Why Are Car Glasses Tinted?
Car Manufacturers and Users tint car glasses for several reasons:
Factory Tinted Glasses:
Enhance privacy and aesthetics.
Block harmful UV rays, reducing skin damage.
Improve energy efficiency by reducing interior heat, lowering air conditioning usage.
Strengthen the glass, providing added protection against shattering.
Aftermarket Tinting:
Privacy for valuables inside the car.
Customised appearance.
Reduced glare for better driving comfort.
Criminal activities.
Factory-fitted tinted glasses are generally designed to meet international standards, ensuring a balance between visibility and privacy.
These do not pose security threats because their VLT levels often comply with regulations, allowing law enforcement to see inside vehicles when necessary.
Where more visibility is needed by the Police, the Driver of the Car can be asked to wind down the car windows.
Blanket bans on these types of tints disregard their global safety standards and benefits.
Disadvantages of Requiring Tinted Glass Permits in Nigeria:
The current system in Nigeria requiring car owners to obtain permits for tinted glasses has significant drawbacks:
Administrative Inefficiency: The process is cumbersome and often fraught with corruption and delays.
In the past, many car owners have to bribe their ways to get the Tinted Glass Permits apart from the official fee.
Economic Burden: The costs associated with obtaining permits add financial strain on car owners.
Disruption of Business: Commercial Drivers and Organisations using factory-fitted tinted cars face unnecessary interruptions.
Limited Impact on Crime: Criminals can exploit other methods regardless of window tinting restrictions.
The argument of a police officer that cars with tinted cars were often used for kidnapping is not a sufficient argument.
Some Vehicles involved in One Vhance incidents in the Federal Capital Territory and the Motorcycles that were often used by Kidnapping particularly in the Northern States had no tinted glass.
Requesting that users of tinted glasses should obtain permits will have little or no positive impacts.
Criminals will be amongst the first set of people to obtain the permit because they have the money and connections in high places to obtain the permit with ease while the innocent Nigerians struggle for months before they could obtain it if at all they do.
Rather than banning tinted glasses outright, Nigeria can adopt globally recognized measures to ensure their use does not compromise security:
Set Standard VLT Levels: Establish permissible VLT thresholds (e.g., 70% for front windows, 50% for rear windows) and educate the public about compliance.
Use Technology: Equip Nigeria Police Officers with Tint Meters to check VLT levels instead of relying on subjective assessments.
There are other Technologies that can be used to detect the occupants and contents of a vehicle 500 meters ahead before getting to check points.
Nigeria should not be going backwards in law enforcement when other Countries are moving forward with technology.
Focus on Aftermarket Tinting: Restrict dark aftermarket tint films but exempt factory-fitted tints that comply with global standards.
The use of Aftermarket Tinting should be restricted to certain VIPs, International Organisations, embassies, emergency vehicles and security agencies, among others. Rather than asking for Payments or Permits for these categories of people, the Nigeria Police should publish and announce the people that are authorised to use Aftermarket Tinted glasses for all Nigerians and Residents to know. Nobody should be made to pay the use of Tinted glass in Nigeria.
Training for Police: Provide Police Officers with clear guidelines on handling tinted glass cases to prevent harassment and arbitrary arrests.
The past abuse of tinted glass permits and the enforcement was disheartening and degrading to the global integrity of Nigeria.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate the public on the benefits of legal compliance and the reasons behind tint regulations for those who must use Aftermarket tinted glasses.
Target Criminal Elements: Focus security measures on intelligence gathering and proper policing instead of blanket policies that inconvenience law-abiding citizens.
At police check points, drivers with tinted glass should be asked to wind down their glasses before they get to the check points as all drivers currently do before getting to Military check points.
Once this is announced, it becomes a practice for joint promotion of security in Nigeria.
A blanket ban on tinted glasses in Nigeria is neither practical nor effective in addressing security concerns.
By adopting a balanced approach rooted in international best practices, Nigeria can ensure road safety and security without infringing on the rights of car owners.
Factory-fitted tinted glasses, which meet global standards, should not be treated as a threat. Instead, the focus should be on clear laws, better enforcement mechanisms, and public awareness.
Factory-fitted tinted glasses offer substantial benefits, including comfort, energy efficiency, and privacy.
They are transparent and pose no security threat as sometimes claimed by Nigeria Police Officers.
With proper regulation, the benefits of Factory Tinted Glasses can be harnessed while addressing any potential security challenges. Let us strive for a solution that serves the people while upholding public safety.
Factory Tinting: Car glasses tinted by Manufacturers are usually legal because they comply with the global regulations.
Factory tinting is done during production and adheres to specific standards for visibility and safety.
Aftermarket Tinting: Adding tint Films to car windows can be legal if the film meets the required Visible Light Transmission (VLT) percentage. It typically ensures that a certain amount of light (e.g., 70% for front windows in many areas) can pass through the glass.
However, tinting becomes illegal under the following conditions:
Excessive Tint: Tint films that exceed the permissible darkness level (e.g., below 35% or 20% VLT, depending on the percentage set for Nigerian Motorists) are illegal.
This is primarily for safety and security reasons because dark tints can impair visibility for Drivers and law enforcement.
Reflective or Colored Tints: Reflective, metallic or colored tints that significantly obstruct visibility and prevent clear view of the Driver from outside. In a nutshell, the factory fitted glass tints are legal and the aftermarket tinting that meets the regulated percentage of Visible Light Transmission (VLT) which has to be measured by Police Officers using the Tint Meters is also legal.
It is not all Film Tints that are illegal. It depends on their degrees of visibility. For Nigeria Police to enforce the ban on the use of Tinted glass, there is a need for them to set the acceptable degree of VLT for Nigeria, purchase Tint Meters for the enforcement Officers. Every Driver should exercise the right to see the readings of the Tint Meters to avoid wrong judgement by the enforcement Officers.
I hereby suggest that the Federal Government should set up a Committee of Transportation, Road Safety and Security Stakeholders including Representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association, Driving Schools Association, Institute of Driving Instructors of Nigeria and Vehicle Manufacturers among others to look into the issues of Car Glass Tinting and allied issues.
This Committee will come up with recommendations that can be transmitted to the National Assembly to enhance security without harming the rights of Nigerians and other Residents.
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