Tinting your car windows has many benefits, and a lot of people choose to add aftermarket tinting to their vehicles. This means they add additional tinting to the small amount already included by the car manufacturer – which is typically around 13%, meaning they allow 87% of light through.

But many people aren’t aware this extra tinting might come with some pretty serious downsides. Before we dive into that, however, let’s take a quick look at the general benefits of tinting your car windows.

1. Cars generally look sleeker with darker window tinting.
2. Allows less light to filter through the windows, which means less sun glare.
3. Allows less heat to filter through the windows, which means a cooler atmosphere – something people in hotter climates (like Texas, Florida, California, for example) are prone to primarily choose tinting for.
4. Tinting offers a little more privacy inside of your vehicle, as it is more difficult for others to see inside.
5. Reduces fading on car interior.

We know now why people choose to tint their windows, but why wouldn’t you want to tint your car windows too dark? It all boils down to two big issues: driver visibility, and legalities.

Driver Visibility

The darker your car windows are tinted, the harder it is for you to see. While tinting up to a certain point can actually help you see because of a reduction in glare and harsh sunlight, there reaches a point where it simply becomes too dark to see through properly.

This leads us to another issue in driver visibility. With less light coming in through the windows, your vision may be further obstructed. Less light means a dimmer interior, and windows which are tinted too dark can cause sight issues within the vehicle itself. This issue becomes worse at night, or during severe weather, like thunderstorms.  

Bad driver visibility has the potential to cause car accidents, which is dangerous for you, your passengers, and everyone on the road. This leads us to issue number two: legalities.  

Legalities

Due to driver visibility, laws have been put in place to regulate car window tinting. The big issue is that there is no one federal law stating how much window tinting is too much, so you’ll want to research your state’s personal rules. States with warmer climates tend to allow more tinting than others, but there is always the issue of driving out of state. The states you drive through may have laws which prohibit the amount of tinting you have done on your windows.  

The penalties for breaking car tinting laws also range. Depending on the state, and how dark your windows are tinted, penalties range from fines to car impoundment. Although neither is exactly wanted, having your car impounded is certainly something you want to avoid. Therefore it is vital you do your research before getting your window’s tinted.